


Paint the Town Edd

by ramify



Category: Ed Edd n Eddy
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug Use, Gangs, Homophobic Language, Inspired by Music, M/M, Reverse Ed Edd n Eddy, The White Stripes - Freeform, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-21
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-02 06:45:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1053737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramify/pseuds/ramify
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eddward was the single grain of rice to tip the scale, sending everyone's lives upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Think I Smell A Rat

**Author's Note:**

> Bullying ain't cool. I don't condone it. Abuse ain't cool. I don't condone it. Drugs can be cool-- I mean, don't do them.  
> Recently got really into Ed, Edd n Eddy again and decided to start writing. Updates will be random, if I do update at all.
> 
> Also, this fic is heavily based off of the White Stripes and the song "The Kids Aren't Alright" could easily go along with it as well.
> 
> [A comic I made for this story.](http://eggsnyost.deviantart.com/art/Paint-the-Town-Edd-Pt-1-418742992) I plan to do much more.

It was actually quite difficult to pinpoint the exact date Double D became Eddward, but he wasn’t particularly picky and in all honesty he didn’t care. Some days he wondered where Double D had gone, even missing the innocence in summer months before he tipped the scale. However, most days, he really enjoyed the person he had become, even if others did not. Quite a few people were not very fond of him and made absolute sure to avoid him at all costs. He remembered the days where this would bother him; the difference was, back then, people avoided him and his friends because they were seen as strange, but now, they were feared, though still strange. People went in the opposite direction when they saw him coming and were quick to step out of the way when there was no alternate route, making sure to avert their eyes from his gaze. Even the three Kanker sisters, who at one point terrorized Double D and his friends, steered clear of Eddward. Double D was a sweet, smart, and innocent boy. Eddward, on the other hand, was a whole new ball game. He was brutal, shrewd and condescending.

 

One could say it all started just before high school, though Eddward had to admit a storm was brewing inside him long before then. It seemed that his patience had just run thin, but in all honesty, he wasn’t quite sure why he had punched the neighbor boy, Kevin. It could have been a many number of things; the pressure to be perfect, growing tired of being pushed around, an increasing desire for control. Double D had always been a kind person, advising his two best friends to behave themselves, watch their language and above all else, not resort to violence. Kevin hadn’t even said anything too harmful or out of the ordinary. It was like any other day, and as usual, Kevin teased Double D and his friends, but it went downhill as soon as the redhead called him Double Dork. It was a normal thing for Kevin to call him, and if anything, Double D got along with Kevin better than Ed or Eddy did, but for whatever the reason, it sent him over the edge. His fist landed hard on Kevin’s lip and upon impact, it seemed the entire neighborhood had grown still, with every pair of eyes wide and on him. For a moment, Double D contemplated apologizing, assuming it would most likely stop the staring from the crowd, but it was only for a brief moment. It felt as though they were all holding their breath for him, waiting for his next move and he realized he liked the feeling. He enjoyed that they were all waiting on him and he most certainly enjoyed the shock he had caused. With that, he silently refused to apologize and shot a vicious glare to Kevin, who held a hand to his busted lip.

 

“It’s Eddward now,” he said steadily before shoving his fists into his pockets.

 

No one dared to call him Double D again, or Double Dork for that matter, not even his two best friends. Why would they? The sudden outburst had startled both of them, even rambunctious Eddy, who from that moment on, tiptoed carefully around Eddward and refrained from calling him the pet name he had given him long ago; sockhead. How it had gone downhill from there, Eddward could care less. All that mattered to him now was that for once in his life, he wasn’t seen as weak and he wasn’t at all afraid of the others. They were afraid of him, and it was as it should be.

 

With a sigh, Eddward sat up on his bed. He despised thinking of the past, let bygones be bygones, as they say. For the most part, he succeeded in forgetting his former life, but occasionally, and without his consent, it snuck up on him, pulling him into an aura of nostalgia and he reveled in it. It was a weakness and he couldn’t afford to have his own personal Achilles’ heel. However, there were times where he allowed himself a moment of frailty, basking in his own memories. Sometimes he tasted blood, sometimes he could smell the fallen leaves in the autumn air, and every so often, but not too frequent, a sadness overtook him, welling his eyes with tears and a thick knot would form in his throat. As much as he enjoyed whom he had become, he rather missed when he was Double D.

 

Eddward reached for his Marlboro Reds, neatly placed on the nightstand and contemplated smoking in his room. The thought left just as quickly as it came upon remembering Mother noticed everything, and not wanting to hear her nag, he stood up from the bed and pulled his dark leather jacket over his red hoodie. He thought to himself, as he grabbed his boots from outside of his room, about his mother. She, along with Father, saw him as a disappointment and had given up on him long ago. They said he had so much potential, with a ridiculous IQ and he chose to throw it all away, which he found hilarious. Apparently, his behavior, the way he dressed and the cigarettes he smoked affected his intelligence. Albeit, it had been known that with some individuals this was the case, however only because they decided not to continue learning, or they were taking too many hallucinogens that fried their brain to the point where they were almost as incoherent as the rest of the world. He didn’t blame them, though; sometimes having a brilliant mind could be a hefty burden, but there were ways to calm the mind, carefully and responsibly. Knowledge was power, the very key to existence and to throw it away was a shame. To ease his own mind, he ventured towards the path of recreational drug use. Nicotine, caffeine and certain pills that affected his performance positively. He could hardly care less what it did to his body, seeing as he would die soon anyway, and as long as it didn’t affect his intelligence negatively, that was all that mattered.

 

Eddward hardly had to wonder why his parents were bothered by his actions. All they wanted was a poster child, a perfect little machine to show off to their friends at the country club. That is, whenever they were home, which was very rare. Father specialized in theoretical physics and was constantly away with his colleagues, while mother worked all hours at the hospital, and when they weren’t at their jobs, they were across the country doing God knows what. Even when he was younger, his parents were absent from the house and he could only assume that they produced an offspring in hopes that it would be capable to care for itself from the get go. How ignorant. It was all about appearances to them; have a perfect child with an excellent GPA, no history with the law, and on the path to a great university. And how foolish.

 

Once he had his boots on, he decided to go for a walk while smoking. Eddward left the house with his baseball bat in hand, not bothering to lock the door. If anyone were brave enough to break in, they wouldn’t find anything of value to him. They could take everything from the house if they really wanted and he wouldn’t care. He had no time to feel sentimental for inanimate objects, much less the ones belonging to his parents. If the two came home to an empty house, they would blame it on him, and it was almost worth inconveniencing them to leave the door open, but he decided against it and lit a cigarette before trudging on down the street. A group of teens eyed him cautiously as he passed them. He didn’t blame them when he recognized their faces; the Kanker sisters. Eddward and his two goons had screwed the three over, as they did with many people. They knew better than to bother him like they did when they were younger; it would only caused them trouble.

 

He continued on the ruined road, full of cracks and potholes, breathing in the smoke as he put the cigarette to his lips and pulling it away to flick the ashes. Not sure exactly where he was heading, he wandered aimlessly until he reached the park. It had been a long time since he last visited the park, other than to vandalize, of course.The slide was covered in graffiti and the teeter-totter had long since been removed. Trash littered the park and he could have sworn he passed a used condom, cringing at the thought of accidentally stepping on it. One swing was still functional and currently used, while the other hung by a single chain. Eddward smiled upon realizing who was occupying the swing.

 

“Pumpkin!” he said loudly through a smirk.

 

The ginger teen looked up upon hearing the petname with wide eyes peering from his glasses, and Eddward could clearly see the freckles that sprinkled across the boy’s cheekbones and nose. He wore his usual red cap that faced in the appropriate direction, and a large green hoodie that was much too big for his skinny frame. The boy had changed almost as drastically as Eddward had in such a short amount of time, and if Eddward didn’t know any better, he would have never have guessed who the boy was before. However, he did know better; of course he did. He was Eddward, smarter than anyone else in this godforsaken neighborhood and he made sure his intelligence was known to everyone who inhabited it.

 

“Hey, Eddward…” the boy said, completely submissive and bringing his gaze to the dirt at his feet. Eddward leaned against the swingset, ignoring the nagging feeling at the back of his head, telling him the pole was riddled with germs. He couldn’t break down in front of people and he couldn’t show any weaknesses. Over the years, Eddward had gotten really good at pushing back the obsessive thoughts of bacteria and disease, though it always came back to haunt him as soon as he got home.

 

He took another long drag from his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and grinding it into the dirt with his foot. “So, Pumpkin, what are you up to out here all alone?”

 

Kevin gently pushed at the ground with his feet, sending the swing to rock him back and forth with a creek. He continued to stare at the earth below, a courtesy to his superior, and it was a few moments before he finally spoke. The winter wind brushed over the two, sending a chill down both of their spines, and the sun was setting in the distance, painting the sky with colours that would make any artist jealous. They would never be able to paint something so beautiful.

 

“My dad’s drunk again…” the boy spoke quietly. Eddward could tell that Kevin didn’t wish to talk about it, but the boy knew better than to lie when asked a question by Eddward.

 

The dark haired teen didn’t know much about Kevin, or his life at home for that matter. He hadn’t really bothered to ask until now, not that he really cared, but he was feeling quite content from the nostalgia washing over him earlier. He remembered the days where he cared about others and their wellbeing, and found no hurt in allowing himself a brief moment of the past slipping into his conscience. Besides, he reveled in shocking people.

 

“Is he a mean drunk?” Eddward asked bluntly.

 

The other boy hesitated and brought the swing to a halt. “Yeah… Kinda, I guess.”

 

“Does he hit you?” Kevin flinched at his words.

 

“Sometimes.”

 

Eddward shrugged and reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. He brought one of the sticks to his lips and lit it. “You just have to hit back harder.”

 

Kevin laughed dryly. “He’d kill me.”

 

“Kill him first,” Eddward suggested nonchalantly. He looked to the sky just as the sun finished setting, bathing the sky in darkness. The red head remained silent and still. Minutes passed by slowly before Eddward broke the silence. “How terribly rude of me. Fag?”

 

Kevin’s head snapped up and he stared at Eddward with his eyes wide. Eddward found the reaction quite ridiculous, but only rolled his eyes and held out his open pack of cigarettes. “I meant a cigarette, simpleton.” Immediately, Kevin relaxed.

 

“I don’t smoke.”

 

Eddward took in the smoke and let it out before speaking. “So does your drunkard father know?”

 

“Know what?”

 

“That you’re a fag,” the delinquent said matter of factly.

 

Kevin glared at him through his hazel eyes. “I’m not a fag.”

 

“It’s acceptable if you are. I’m not one to tell another’s secrets. Unless, of course, you give me reason to, but you aren't like that, are you, Pumpkin?"

 

“Don’t call me that,” the other teen snapped.

 

Eddward smirked. He wished the ginger would add a dweeb or dork to his demand, but Kevin knew better. Instead, Eddward imagined the words rolling out of Kevin’s mouth, as though it were old times and their roles were reversed. He enjoyed whom he had become and the cloud of terror that surrounded him, choking anyone who got too close, but every so often he appreciated the past.

 

“Pumpkin? Why not? It suits you.”

 

“Just don’t,” Kevin said more softly, realizing he had spoken poorly to Eddward.

 

“What would you like more? Dweeb? Dork?” Eddward asked with a smug grin spread across his pink lips. Kevin remained quiet and kicked the dirt awkwardly. The superior was rather enjoying this feeling of power over the teen, holding Kevin’s past actions over his head. Until now, he hadn’t thought to do so, barely even holding a conversation with the boy, not that he could while he was beating him senseless. Now seeing Kevin look so guilty gave him a terribly pleasant feeling. Eddward swung the baseball bat from his shoulder and to the ground with a hard thud, causing Kevin to jump and stare worriedly at the bat in the other’s hand. “Oh, calm yourself, neanderthal. I’m not going to beat you, though you do look like you could use it. Maybe it’d get your mind off other things.”

 

The redhead retreated his eyes from the bat and to the ground, with the occasional glance towards Eddward, and he didn’t blame Kevin for his lack of trust. Eddward had been known to break his word, but Kevin didn’t know that he was feeling generous today. The tension was still evident, even after a few minutes passed, neither one willing to leave; Kevin, fearful that Eddward would find his leaving rude, and Eddward, the type to have the last word as well as the last step, at least until he was satisfied. Taking a leap of faith, though Eddward would never admit to using such a word, he let the baseball bat fall from his hand and onto the ground. He took a long drag from the cigarette and didn’t even bother to look for Kevin’s reaction, but he could imagine the ginger had relaxed somewhat.

 

“What are you doing?” Kevin asked boldly, proving Eddward to be right. The other teen allowed his gaze to fall on the one in the swing.

 

“Smoking.”

 

“I see that. Why are you here?”

 

The dark haired boy shrugged again. “Because I can be.”

 

Kevin rolled his eyes and Eddward’s heart leaped, pounding violently in his chest. The attitude Kevin was giving him was only feeding more fuel to the nostalgic fire and it excited him. He wondered what the boy was holding back after years of beatings and torment. Wondered how far he could push Kevin before the redhead broke and went back to his old ways. It would be another experiment, he thought to himself when he decided exactly what he was going to do. It would have an interesting outcome nonetheless.

 

“So, Pumpkin. It’s alright if I call you that, yes? Or would you prefer Dork? Milksop? Ignoramus? Perhaps you’d go for Ninnyhammer. That seems right up your alley.” A smirk slipped across Eddward’s face as Kevin ground his teeth.

 

“Stop,” the boy growled.

 

Eddward blew the smoke in Kevin’s direction, receiving a scowl from the teen. “Stop what?”

 

“Kevin doesn’t work for you?”

 

“No, it doesn not.”

 

“Well, that’s my name.”

 

“No, it’s not. What’s your name?”

 

The freckled boy lost what little fire he had in him and looked to the ground. Eddward grinned when he realized Kevin wouldn’t break today, though he couldn’t deny that it did disappoint him. Maybe another day.

 

“Pumpkin…” Kevin said quietly.

 

“That’s right. Well, it was a nice chat. Au revoir, citrouille,” and with that, Eddward left the park.

 


	2. Black Math

Gasps and heavy breathing were the only sounds that broke the silence. Occasionally a gust of chilling winter wind would howl and cold flakes of snow would dance along as though it was their song. A new layer of snow covered the ground, but it was tainted with fresh droplets of blood and a boy laid on his side. No one dared move to his rescue, staying hidden behind their curtains as they watched. They had heard the screams earlier, but weren’t surprised; it was the normal routine and could only assume that someone had done something wrong.

 

Eddward lit a cigarette and stared down at the boy known as Jonny. Earlier in the week Jonny had given him the usual pay, but the idiot had mouthed off. Ed was breathing heavily, his nostrils flaring as he stared down at the kid who was known as the town tweaker. Blood covered his knuckles as he cracked them. Eddward loved the loyalty that he held in his friend, Ed; the big oaf would do anything for him and it pleased him. The shorter one, Eddy, on the other had, was another story. He was constantly acting up, and Eddward found himself warning him on a daily basis that if he didn’t get his shit together, he was going to be bumped to the top of the list. If there was one thing in this neighborhood that a person didn’t want, it was to be at the top of Eddward’s Shit List.

 

Jonny groaned and looked up at Eddward with his eyes wide, fear completely clouding them, but even through the terror, the fool didn’t know when to shut up. “I paid you. I gave you the money. You said I would be safe.”

 

Eddward scowled before running to the kid and driving his boot into Jonny’s side. He did it over and over again until tears were streaming down the other boy’s face. Eddward backed up and adjusted his hat as he gasped for air. A smirk was placed on his face upon hearing Jonny’s broken sobs. “Well, Schitz. We just upped the price.”

 

The dark haired boy motioned for his friends to leave just as he caught someone’s eye. As his two friends began to walk away, he smiled wickedly when he realized it was Kevin, who was peering through the curtains from the safety of his home. A strange flutter was sent throughout Eddward and he bowed over Jonny’s frail body with his arms spread out gracefully, as though it were all a performance for the ginger. When he stood up straight, he noticed the boy had closed the curtains and then smirked to himself. No, it won’t be that easy, Pumpkin, he thought to himself. He didn’t have to call to his friends to continue on without him, but he only felt it courteous to do so before he marched up to Kevin’s front door and knocked. Minutes passed by and he knocked again. How rude of Kevin to keep him waiting. Finally, the door opened just enough for Kevin to peer out at Eddward.

 

“Greetings, ma'am. I am selling some delicious and very nutritious cookies for my Girl Scout Troop. Would you mind buying some? Or perhaps you’d like to join! A lovely little lady like you would fit very well among the Girl Scouts!” Eddward smiled widely, the gap in between his teeth apparent.

 

Kevin must have grown ballsy in the past two weeks since their last meeting because he pushed his entire weight on the door to close it. However, Eddward was faster, sticking his foot in the doorway and throwing a flat hand onto the hard oak with a thump. He pushed himself through, sending Kevin back a few steps, and being polite, of course, shut the door behind himself. The house was a complete disaster. Oh, the heart attack it would have given Mother if she stepped foot into this house. Beer bottles galore, scattered throughout the sitting room; some half full and some had fallen over, creating stains on the cream carpet. Clothing draped over the furniture, the curtain rods, and even the television, which at the moment was projecting a show about automobiles. Wrappers and plates were stacked on the coffee table and the ground. On the inside, Eddward was having a complete nervous wreck, but he stayed cool and collected as he picked up a stained white t-shirt with his thumb and forefinger.

 

“What lovely decor you have here, Pumpkin,” he scowled at the shirt he had in hand, but quickly dropped it on the ground. “However, I think the Kanker Harlots have you beat by a landslide.”

 

Kevin looked nervously at the ground and then the walls. His eyes seemed to trail around the entire room, everywhere except Eddward. Annoyed with Kevin’s behavior, he brushed passed the boy, sending a chill down his spine. It was electric and exciting, but he didn’t dare make it evident. Eddward continued to the stairs, remembering Kevin’s room was on the second floor and only stopped for a brief moment to look at the kitchen. Dirty dishes were piled high in the sink and it appeared that every single cupboard door was open. Empty cans of soup and vegetables, as well as a few empty bottles of rum were dispersed among the counters and Eddward wondered how anyone could live in such filth. The ginger trailed behind him cautiously as they walked down the narrow hallway, worried that this was some sort of inspection. At least, that is what Eddward assumed, and he could only further assume that Kevin was frightened by Eddward’s intentions. The questions seemed to radiate off of the redhead; will he beat me up? Is this a test? Is he going to steal from me? Eddward rolled his eyes as he opened the door to Kevin’s room.

 

He was actually quite shocked at the near perfect state of the room. Compared to the entire house, the room was almost to his standards with only a few articles of clothing on the floor. The orange comforter was made on the bed with a couple wrinkles from where Kevin must have been sitting earlier and a laptop sat on the nightstand along with a lamp. The posters he had as a child had been taken down and replaced to appropriately accommodate his age; one in particular was of the anatomy of a motorcycle, confirming Kevin had not outgrown his childhood ambitions. Aside from a few things here and there, not much had changed in the room. Eddward stepped in to get a better look, allowing his eyes to gaze around the room a while longer before reaching the window. Looking out the glass, he saw that no one was in their yards or the streets for that matter, a masterpiece of his own making. He glanced over his shoulder at Kevin, who waited anxiously by the now closed door, and then fell back on the bed with a bounce.

 

“Well, Pumpkin. This ain’t bad,” he said as he felt the bed. “Oh my... How comfortable. No wonder you look so pretty everyday. Obviously you are acquiring your beauty sleep.”

 

Kevin turned his head away from Eddward, but it was clear that he wore a scowl. He wasn't anywhere close to the breaking point, but Eddward was sure he was at the very least cracking. Kevin looked back in his direction and-- was that a tint of red he saw in the boy's cheeks?

 

"It's not that I don't want you here, but why are you?"

 

Eddward gave him an exasperated shrug, throwing his hands up with a thoughtful frown. Of course he had a reason, but Kevin didn't need to know. In return, he received an empty stare from the redhead. The taller teen stood back up from the bed, and made his towards Kevin, who backed into the door. Kevin shook nervously as Eddward came inches from touching the boy and raised his arm, causing Kevin to flinch. He reached above the teen's head to grab one of the darts from the dartboard and carefully walked backwards toward the window. "Don't move, Pumpkin. I wouldn't want to damage that pretty face of yours."

 

Kevin closed his eyes tight as Eddward positioned himself perfectly, determined the angle, and calculated the force he we would need to make a bullseye. He took a small breath and threw his arm. There was a thud as the dart hit the board and Kevin looked up to find Eddward hit the little red circle. A smile spread across his face as he looked back to Eddward, who grinned back.

 

"Awesome," Kevin said, a little piece of his past self slipping through.

 

"It's all about precision," Eddward said limply throwing his fist in front of him and rolling up his sleeve up to read his watch. "Say, Pumpkin, are you free for the rest of the night?"

 

Kevin furrowed his brow in confusion. "I don't know. I mean, my dad will be home soon, so--"

 

Eddward made his way towards the door and Kevin moved as he opened it. "Well, that's all the more reason to get out, right?"

 

This was all a part of his experiment. Maybe he'd make friends with Kevin and after that he would break that trust... He would get Kevin to break and if he didn't, he would just beat the kid senseless as he always did. However, he had a feeling Kevin would snap and the very thought excited him greatly.

 

"Well, of course you can stay within the _safety_ and _comfort_ of these walls," he said ironically, "but you are more than welcome to come," and made his way down the stairs. He was halfway down Kevin's driveway when he heard the door slam followed by the pounding of feet on the ground. Eddward grinned when he found Kevin at his side.

 

"You decided to accompany me! An excellent decision on your part,” the taller smirked.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Where are we going anyway?”

 

Eddward placed the cigarette in between his lips and stopped long enough to light it, shielding the lighter’s flame from the harsh winds with his free hand. He didn’t have a craving for nicotine at the moment; he only lit up to hide the cringe hanging on the ridges of his spine. “The junkyard.”

 

“Why?”

 

Eddward chose not to answer Kevin's question, deeming it none of Kevin's business to know. Instead, he changed the subject. “I believe your little girlfriend, Nazz will be there.”

 

“Nazz isn’t my girlfriend,” Kevin muttered.

 

“If we were younger you wouldn’t have denied those allegations.”

 

The redhead rolled his eyes. “Well, if we were younger, you wouldn’t be such a jerk.”

 

“Touché, ma petite citrouille,” Eddward grinned at Kevin’s comeback. He was growing more daring by the second. They walked in silence until they reached the junkyard. It was filthy, to say the least. Eddward made sure to be cautious with each step and was discreet enough as to not draw any attention to himself. Every bone in his body was screaming to turn around and run to the safety of his room, but to say he simply fought against his urges would be an understatement.

 

He took in a long drag from his cigarette as he surveyed his surroundings. It had changed since his last visit last month. The piles of garbage had grown higher and new hills of rubbish were forming. The stench, however was the same, seeping into Eddward’s nostrils, even when he refrained from inhaling through his nose. There was a crunch beneath his feet and he stopped walking immediately. He didn’t dare look to his feet, for fear that it would be what would finally send him over the edge and running back home as though his life depended upon it. With a deep and unsteady breath, that came with a nasty and horrifyingly disgusting taste, Eddward pressed on. The two finally reached their destination; an old, rusted and extremely gaudy van.

 

It was purple with terrible and inaccurate orange flames painted sloppily on the sides. Eddward wondered who on earth would have felt so compelled to create such a monstrosity. It was Frankenstien's monster of motor vehicles, but also a comforting memory. The van had been in Eddward's life for a long time, and though it was hideous, he cherished it. Eddward opened side door to reveal a small group of people; Ed, Eddy, Nazz and Rolf.

 

Rolf had come to be known as the town dealer, supplying everyone with whatever they required, but of course, it came at a price. Generally, his price was money, however occasionally, he would settle for a trade depending on the objects importance to the buyer. Eddward's price was that Rolf could come and go as he pleased and there would be no interference among the foreigner and the three ruffians. His protection in exchange for Eddward's medication. Nazz on the other hand, had become quite the partier, diving head first into experimental drugs as well as other things once high school started. At one point in time, Eddward would have been breathe taken by her advances, however over the years, he had grown to find her just as disgusting as all the rest. Besides, she had only come on to him for her own safety and Eddward would not tolerate being used. Eddward may not be a commendable or compassionate man, but he did have morals and would never hit a female. That didn't mean he wouldn't have someone else do his dirty work. Having the Kankers bound to him by cause of blackmail, he sent them after Nazz to teach her a lesson.

 

Upon opening the van door each pair of eyes landed on him. Both Nazz and Rolf studied him cautiously and once he climbed in, they deemed him harmless and moved their gaze to Kevin, who climbed in behind Eddward. He closed the door and sat down next to the dark haired boy. Ed and Eddy glared at Kevin.

 

"What's shovel-chin doing here?" Eddy growled, his blue eyes cutting into the redhead.

 

"Mind your tongue, Eddy. Kevin is my guest."

 

Silence filled in the small spaces between them once Eddward finished speaking. They all waited for him to speak, and no one dared to say the first word. He had control as usual and a smile crept on his face. Everyone looked away, completely terrified; everyone except Kevin, who kept his eyes squarely on the older teen. It sent goosebumps to trail Eddward's body when he realized today could be the day Kevin broke.

 

"Let's get this over with. You have them?" He asked, his attention on Rolf, who looked up nervously.

 

"Yes, of course, Edd boy."

 

"Fantastic. Of course you are safe from any mental or physical trauma until our next deal," he said and there was a note of sarcasm in his voice.

 

"Thank you, Edd boy," Rolf said as he dug through a satchel at his side. He pulled out two separate containers, one labeled Xanax and the other Adderall. Eddward smiled as he leaned forward and took the pill bottles from the foreigner. He sat back and looked to Kevin who was eyeing him suspiciously; or was it curiously?

 

"We gonna toke yet or what?" Nazz asked, breaking thsilence and receiving a terrifying glare from Eddward. She looked down at her hands in her lap with wide eyes.

 

Eddward grinned once again. Oh the power he had. "But of course, dear."

 

Rolf pulled out a joint and held it out to Eddward as a courtesy, which was indeed a smart move on Rolf's part. In return, Eddward held up his hand and glared at the offending joint. "No, thank you, Rolf."

 

Rolf lit the joint and took in a deep breathe before passing it on to Nazz. It went around until it reached Kevin, who shook his head in protest.

 

"Shovel-chin's a little bitch," Eddy laughed and the others joined in until Eddward cleared his throat. If they believed Kevin to be a ninny, then what did they think of him? The van grew quiet.

 

"I mean, Kevin's just a wimp. Not you, though. You know?"

 

"No, I don't seem to understand. What I am collecting is that you believe that those who decide against partaking in certain activities are, as you put it, a little bitch. Isn't that what you are insinuating, Eddy?" Eddward asked. The tension grew thicker with each word that fell from his lips. His words, or more so his voice, was like poison, thicker than the aroma of the burning cannabis. No one spoke and no one moved. It was perfectly silent. "Speak, rat."

 

Eddy stumbled over his words. "I mean, it's just the ape. He is nothing like you. You, I mean--"

 

The shorter boy's words were cut short as Eddward brought his elbow to his face. Immediately blood began to spew from Eddy's nose and a whimper escaped his lips. As he crouched, Eddward walked to the door and pulled it open with a force that shook the van. He reached back and grabbed Eddy by his now, what Eddward assumed to be, broken nose and pulled him out of the van. With a groan and a thud, Eddy's stumpy body fell to the ground.

 

"Get up."

 

Eddy looked up at the taller teen with tears in his eyes. Of course he understood what was to happen next. Anyone who had the audacity to tick off Eddward was most certainly in for it. He shakily got to his feet and looked to the ground in front of him. Everyone inside the van watched anxiously, wondering if they were going to be next as they had been laughing along with Eddy only moments before. Eddward grinned to them before driving his foot in between Eddy's legs. A high pitched whine came from Eddy as he struggled to stand tall.

 

"I keep telling you, Eddy dearest," he sighed and grabbed his friend wrist, twirling him around and pushing his arm up towards his shoulder blades. Eddy yelped in pain. "If you keep acting like an idiot," he pushed up further, "one of these days, I'm not going to stop," and even further as his voice lowered, "and no one will find your body."

 

With one last push, Eddy's shoulder popped loudly and a sharp scream echoed throughout the junkyard. Eddward pushed the teen to the ground and looked to the others in the van. "Go."

 

He didn't have to say it twice. They all ran off after a few short moments, walking over Eddy's whimpering body. As Kevin began to walk away, Eddward called for him. "I'll see you very soon, Pumpkin."


	3. Little Accorns

Only one thing was on Eddward's mind, repeating over and over in his head as he walked quickly back to his house.   
  
 _Germs._  
 _Bacteria._  
 _Disease._  
  
He wanted to run. It certainly would get him home much faster, but he was able to restrain himself to a steady pace. He cursed at himself for being so careless and so aware simultaneously. His mind  was torn in two.  
  
There was a painful cringe hiding in his bones at the very thought of the hazardous waste dump, and he had to stop in the middle of the road to-- _unclean, unwashed, unsanitary_ \-- contain himself. Eddward attempted to take deep, slow breaths, but he was still very far from calm. He closed his eyes tight and fought the urge to bend over and release the contents of his stomach onto the black asphalt.  
  
There was no escaping it. His mind always went back to it. One gag. Two gags. He bent over. It was all over. He was going to die.  
  
I'm infected. I am dying because I am infected.  
  
He knew this to not be true, it was only a panic attack. With a deep breath he tried to think calming thoughts about being home and being-- _disgusting, foul, bacteria_ \-- clean, however, the thoughts would quickly spiral into--  
  
 _Germs._  
 _Bacteria._  
 _Disease._  
  
Death was coming to him and at this point, he welcomed it with open arms. It was better than this. His body felt like it was on fire and within a second it was freezing cold as though he  had been stripped naked and left out in a winter storm. A frozen, yet scorching hand clutched his heart, squeezing it tight.   
He was dying.   
He was dying.  
He was dying.  
He was dying.  
He was--  
  
Pull yourself together, Eddward! his mind screamed at him. It felt as though he was disconnected from the world as another part of him took over and-- _contamination_ \-- carried him home. His mind was a blank canvas, and yet it was a ball of broken and useless rubber bands. Occasionally, he came back to consciousness, but the moments were brief, full of nausea, and repeating thoughts--  
 _Germs. Germs._  
 _Bacteria. Bacteria._  
 _Disease. Infection._  
 _Disease. Infect_ \--  
  
And he was taken over again.  
  
Eventually his house was in view and the hot flashes increased. He was so close. Approximately 100 steps away at this point. The countdown began.  
 _99_  
 _98_  
 _97_  
 _96..._  
The cold hand gripped tighter on his heart, squeezing until it burst into flames.  
 _...68_  
 _67_  
 _66_  
 _65..._  
He could run. He could run. He had everything to lose, but it almost didn't matter anymore. No matter-- _dirty_ \-- how hard he concentrated on running, his body just wouldn't allow him to. Autopilot had taken control.  
...33  
32  
31  
30...  
The only thing that comforted him was to think that in just a few short moments it would all be over. He would be home. Safe, clean home. Just a few short moments. Just a few short moments, he told himself.  
 _...8_  
 _7_  
 _6_  
 _5_  
 _4..._  
Eddward's hand shook-- _bacteria_ \-- as he reached for the doorknob and pushed it open. The moment he stepped inside,-- _germs_ \-- he broke loose from his sequestered state and slammed the front door, shaking the door frame violently. Panic took over as he ran up the stairs--  
  
 _Germs, get them off me, no no no, bacteria, diseases. _  
  
He needed to get to his bathroom, to the shower-- _clean_.   
  
In his consternation, he struggled to unzip his jacket and he gave up once he rammed into his bedroom door with such a force  it it bruised his shoulder His breaths were short and unsteady.   
 _Breathe in,_  
 _breathe out._  
 _In,_  
 _out._    
In a split second decision, he decided he had no time to strip down once he reached his private bathroom. The same thoughts continued to bounce around in his head as his blank canvas was painted with scribbles and random splotches of grey and black. Gasping for air, Eddward turned the handle to the shower and not waiting for it to heat up, stepped inside.  
  
The freezing water bounced off his leather jacket, completely soaking his hat and jeans. Soon the water became so scalding hot it was almost unbearable, but Eddward pulled through, knowing the hotter the better. his body trembled, shaking so violently he couldn't strip down.  
  
 _Stop! Stop! No! Stop!_ His mind screamed, echoing throughout his body and shaking his nerves. There was nothing he could do and his lack of control over his own body frustrated him. He slammed his arm into the ceramic tile of the bathroom wall repeatedly until his arm began to sting.   
  
 _Breathe in,_  
 _breathe out._  
in, out.  
  
"No! It's not doing anything. Breathing isn't doing me anything  right now!" He shouted to no one, but himself. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the hot flow coming from the shower head.   
  
Eddward fell against the wall, bringing the back of his head to the ceramic with a hard and heavy thud as he slid down the shower walls. Pain tingled and his vision faded to black for a moment. He sat with his kneesbent slightly-- _Breathe in, breathe out, in, out_ \--and his hands limply at his side, staring blankly while the hot water fell on him. Water plucked at his boots, falling like heavy raindrops on cement. The pain eventually faded, and he realized, as he did many times before, that, just like the pain, the panic attack would fade.  
  
The happy thoughts didn't last long and were quickly replaced with hysteria. He pulled himself up and began to desperately tug at his clothes. First, his hat came off, falling from his hand to the tub with a wet thud. Water ran down his-- _off, off, off, get off_ \-- head and face, causing hair to flatten to his scalp and forehead. His jacket was next followed by his sweater and he kicked off his boots. Once everything was off and at his feet, he grabbed his loofa, covered it in soap and began to scrub.   
  
All he could think to do was cleanse himself and remove anything that came from the junkyard--  
the stench,  
what he had stepped on,   
and any bacteria _bacteria_ _ bacteria bacteria_ that may be clinging to his body.   
  
The water was hot and began to burn his now raw skin, but he continued to scour himself.   
 _Scrubbing._  
 _Scrubbing._  
Scrubbing.  
Scrubbing.   
  
He  shampooed his black hair three times and scrubbed his face thoroughly. When his breathing evened out, he took in deep, calming breath and let the water run down his face and body once again. It had cooled down and was now at a perfect temperature. He was safe and clean and a satisfied feeling washed over him, but there was still more to do. Eddward turned the shower off, stepped out, grabbed a towel from the cupboard and wrapped it around his waist.  
  
He grabbed his toothbrush from his medicine cabinet, covered it with tooth paste before running water over it and placing it in his mouth. Eddward brushed in circles, running it over each tooth with care as he bent over and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves from the cupboard under the sink. When his gums began to sting, he deemed them clean enough and spat out the toothpaste, which showed a hint of red from his bleeding gums. Eddward ran the faucet to wash it away, walked into his room to grab the laundry basket, and brought it back into the bathroom.   
  
Briefly, he took a moment to contain himself and put on the gloves before reaching into the tub to take out the clothes. He carefully placed the loofa and each article of clothing into the hamper, remembering to take the pill bottles from his coat pocket, and placed the laundry in the hallway.   
  
Upon seeing the pills on his dresser, he removed the gloves and popped one Xanax into his mouth. And one more. They were dry going down his throat but he had no time for a drink.  
  
When he was dressed in a white t-shirt, a pair of jeans and of course, the gloves, he brought the clothes to the basement to start a load of laundry, placing the exact amount of soap required into the machine, and went back to his room to finish removing the memory of the junkyard.   
  
Another deep breath was taken to prepare himself.  
And another.  
And another.   
He laid a towel on the ground, knelt down, pulled the curtains open and observed the-- _disgusting, germ infested, filthy, vile, repulsive_ \-- boots, wondering what exactly he would have to do to care for them.  
  
What had he stepped in? What had made such a noise under his foot? The sound remained in his ears, it was a crunch followed by a scrap against his boot. It could have been a needle. Good lord, it could have been a needle.  
 _Breathe in,_  
 _breathe out._  
  
He reached in to grab the boot that  had been exposed to the mysterious object, but pulled in hand back in fear.  
 _Breathe in,_  
 _breathe out._  
  
Quick, like ripping off a band-aid, he grabbed the boot and checked underneath.  
  
Whatever he had stepped on had been either removed during the walk or washed away in the shower. That in no way meant it was clean. Once he set the boot back into the tub, Eddward crawled to the cupboard and pulled out  moisturizing soap, a rag, and some leather conditioner. It was a tedious and annoying process, cleaning each boot with care and precision, but it was the price Eddward had to pay for being carless-- _foolish, inane,_ imbecilic, imprudent-- enough to step in something, much less enter the junkyard.   
  
While he waited for the boots to dry on the bathroom floor, he took the time to wash the bathtub, scrub the bathroom floor and vacuum the carpet in his room. Once the boots had dried, he gently lathered leather condition on both boots and wiping away any excess conditioner. He sighed when he was done and placed them outside his room as usual. Yet, he still wasn't finished; there was still one more thing to do, a finishing touch. Eddward grabbed the disinfectant, covered his mouth with his sleeve and released the spray in his room, spraying his desk, bed, nightstand, dresser and then the entire bathroom.   
  
A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as gently laid down on the bed. The thoughts were completely washed away. He had control again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was rather difficult to write. I do not suffer from OCD, but I do have an extreme anxiety disorder, which would make you think that I would have an easy time writing this. WRONG. It was difficult because I don't like getting into that mind set, it only gets me down and sends me spiraling into a panic attack. However, I feel I did a fairly decent job.


	4. Your Southern Can Is Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to be updating on Mondays. Yesterday I was not able to do so because the power was out. Mondays are horrible, so I feel like I might possibly make your day better as well as my own.  
> There is violence in this chapter, so be warned, but when has this story not had any violence?

Some people just didn't know when to keep their big, obnoxious mouths closed, and it was starting to really annoy Eddward. He didn't mind being the bad guy-- oh, he knew he was the bad guy, but one of these days he would explode. Eddward was a patient man, though everyone has a breaking point. He just didn't look forward to the day he snapped, and he was absolutely positive everyone could agree that they hoped the day never arrived. Yet, people continued to test his patience as though they were invincible and immune to his reign, but they were only wild stallions, simply needing to be saddled and broken. This unfortunate situation, however, involved Sarah, Ed's younger sister.

Even as a child, she had been a nuisance with a rather large mouth on her. She had grown into, what one might say, a beautiful young lady with a thin, fragile frame, which helped her land a spot in the Peach Creek High cheerleading squad. As beautiful as others may describe her, Eddward found absolutely nothing about her interesting or appealing. Her long auburn hair and dark eyes were just another color, destined to grey and fade in time. Some would find her go-and-get-'em attitude winsome, but it only aggravated Eddward. He would not waste much time or thought on the spunky teen, but he couldn't let her go unpunished. What she had said the day before was unacceptable.

_"Someday the world is gunna catch up to you, Double Douche, and when that happens, I'll be sitting back and watching," she said as she grudgingly handed him her allowance._

_Eddward had brought the price of protection up, and as expected, no one was happy, but everyone knew better than to say a single word about it. Everyone except Sarah, of course._

_He had only smiled at the girl as he put the money into his pocket, and in return, she looked at him through spiteful eyes. "When that day comes, I will openly embrace it, my dear."_

_Once Sarah left along with all the others, Eddward turned towards his friends, scowling in disgust, the right side of his lip raised high. Ed may have been daft, but he knew the look on Eddward's face couldn't mean anything good. There was an violent fire in Eddward's marble-like eyes causing Ed to panic, but he remained in position._

_"Ed, you understand when I say Sarah needs to be taught a lesson, yes?" The teen's voice was like ice and just as phlegmatic. It sent a chilling fear throughout Ed's body._

_Both of his friends' eyes widened at his words as he lit a cigarette. Even Eddy, who had his own issues with Sarah, was in disbelief, and yet, he wasn't surprised with Eddward. The issue was that this was Sarah, Ed's sibling. However, there were no exceptions and Eddy, of all people, knew that. Eddward would call the Kankers and Sarah would get what was coming to her, whether Ed wanted it to happen or not._

_"Please, Eddward. I'll do anything! Please!" Ed begged, his speech impediment perfectly obvious. "She's my baby sister."_

_Eddward shot a harsh glare in Ed's direction causing the bigger teen to tremble, but he didn't like to be mad at his friends for very long. The big guy was only protecting his sibling and Eddward found it truly endearing. However, now was not the time to be moved by such things. His gaze instantly softened and he took a long drag from the cigarette. "Ed, my friend, I like you. Let's not change that."_

_The larger teen looked away in defeat and that was the end of it._

Ed had been "given the day" off by Eddward, who didn't want any interference. Besides, who better to watch May Kanker's bastard than the man who was more than likely the father. It had never been brought up; Eddward wasn't the type to ask, but one could only assume considering the two had been dating at the time. If they still were an item, he could care less. Eddward was content with not knowing everything if that meant _everything_ included where Ed stuck his penis.

Eddy, whose arm had healed in the past month and had somehow managed not to tick Eddward off since, nervously shifted from each foot once the Kankers showed up with Sarah. The Kankers had continued to set Eddy at an unease, and the teen was probably anxious about what would happen next. With Marie at their side, May and Lee held tightly onto each of Sarah's arms as the girl struggled and yelled at them. Once she saw Eddward, her eyes widened and she pulled back in attempts to run away. "No, no, no!" The two Kankers, however continued to pull the girl closer to Eddward with such a force that Sarah fell to her knees. They didn't even bother to let the girl rise to her feet and dragged her until they were a few feet away from Eddward.

"Let me go! Please! Please!" Sarah begged the two girls holding her. May and Lee looked remorseful, but Marie burst into a fit of giggles.

"Sarah, you have nothing to fear from me. I have nothing in store for you," Eddward said once he leaned down onto the balls of his feet, each elbow resting on his thighs. Sarah sighed and smiled nervously to the boy in front of her. A wicked grin appeared on the boys face as he leaned closer, his lips only inches from Sarah's. He looked up at the Kankers, each individually and lasting a good few seconds; Marie seemed to be upset by how close Eddward was to Sarah but he ignored the daggers in her gaze. His voice lowered immensely and was like a car running on a gravel road, picking up the small pebbled with the treaded tires. "What you have to worry about are the ones holding you."

The girl looked up in a panic at her captors as Eddward stood up with a bounce and held his arms behind his back. He stepped backwards, keeping his gaze on Sarah once she looked to him with pleading eyes, but he only grinned.

"The world will catch up with me someday, but it will need to start running."

He turned around just as Marie drove her combat boot into Sarah's stomach and searched his breast pocket for his pack of cigarettes. A frown appeared on his face when he discovered there was only two left, now one. How inconvenient. He lit the stick, struggling with his lighter for a moment until the flame finally erupted from the small device. From behind him, he heard a terrifying crunch that sounded suspiciously like a bone breaking, followed by a pop of something coming out of socket.

At first the teenage girl's piercing screams along with Marie's sickening laughter was exciting, bringing his adrenaline to pump hard through his veins, but soon he found them to be rather annoying when they just repeated at the same pitch, over and over. Eddward pulled out his head phones and put each one in his ears, starting with the left. He only had to look through the music on his phone for a few seconds before he settled on the White Stripes, though he would have gone with Beethoven, but that was a bit too Norman Stansfield* for him. Black Math began and he turned back around, just in time to see Sarah crawling away, her auburn hair in a complete mess, but Marie grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her back. With a heavy step, Marie pressed her boot against Sarah's cheek before she pulled the girl by her long hair. He watched, unamused by Marie's attempts to catch his attention, something she had been struggling to do since the day they met. She realized the hard way that Eddward wanted nothing to do with her, and since that day two years ago she has toned down, but Eddward applauded her dedication.

_Before that day, Eddward hadn't ever hit a girl and he was determined to never do it again. Marie had graduated from heavy flirting to grabbing and groping, despite Eddward's continuous warnings. If there was one thing he was absolutely certain about, it was he had no earthly idea as to where Marie's hands had been, or if she had even washed them afterwards. The touching had gone on for an entire day until he snapped once she had gone over the line. As much as he found it disgusting, he wasn't exactly sure why he'd let it go on so long; he wasn't interested in females, or men for that matter._

_Eddward was softer back then, weaker. He wouldn't make that mistake again; no one would walk on him again._

_Marie had been hanging onto him at the party Nazz had been hosting. Eddward wouldn't have shown up, had he not been worried that it would be seen as a sign of weakness and he supposed the same principle could be applied to Marie's signs of affection. At one point during the party, she had pinched his buttocks and shocked by the gesture, a squeak had escaped his lips. Everyone had laughed in their drunken states, ignoring his warning looks. Angered by this, but not quite to his breaking point, he left the house, out the back door and away from the fumes of whatever they had been smoking. Marie had followed him shortly, lit a cigarette, and threw the fag away to chase him when he went back into the house. At this point Eddward was beyond frustrated, and tried to lose her in the crowd, but she kept close to him, grabbing onto his arm and giggling sweet nothings into his ear. "I know you want it" seemed to be the only words she knew that night. As sweet and repulsive as they were, they indeed meant nothing to the fifteen-year-old boy. Eddward's mind screamed for him to push her away and run from her, but it also shouted for him to snap her neck._

_Eventually, he reached the other side of the room and was about to turn back to shake Marie off of him, but the girl shoved him against the wall and pressed her open mouthed lips against his. His stomach churned and he felt the contents inside it rising, ready to spill into her mouth, but he kept it closed. He wasn't goin to risk even a split moment of her tongue in his mouth. A wet tongue was spreading saliva across his tightly closed lips. The disgusting bile traveled up his throat, settling into his mouth and he cringed before swallowing it. He pushed Marie away and the girl must have been incredibly stupid for she shoved herself back against him. Before Eddward could do anything, her hand was down the front of his pants and gripping his flaccid member. Marie seemed shocked that he wasn't aroused and looked at him, her expression both curious and mocking. Eddward had had enough. He smiled and gripped the girl by her hair, the urge to pull it all out was overwhelming. She must have been assuming he was done playing hard to get, but when he scowled, her smile faded. With all the strength he could muster, he threw her to the side and causing her to fall onto a bookshelf. The contents on the shelves shook and several books fell as well as a few nicknacks._

_The room grew unbelievably quiet, as everyone looked to see what happened. To say the least, they were shocked, but they kept their thoughts to themselves. Marie had fallen to the ground and looked up to Eddward in defeat. Her hair was disheveled and there was a bump on her cheek from one of the shelves, painted with a newly forming bruise of yellow and green. He glared down at her before bending down closer._

_"Don't ever touch me again."_

_Eddward left the party, but not before stepping on the girl's hand._

Eddward didn't like what he had done to Marie, but it seemed to be the only way he could get her to understand he wasn't interested. Her behavior was borderline rapist, and he wouldn't stand for that. He pulled himself out of his thoughts long enough to see Lee throwing a punch at Sarah, who looked worse for wear. Hair matted with blood and dirt, left eye swollen, and lip busted. Her white and green cheerleading outfit was covered in blood, dirt, and grass stains, as well as her legs and arms. Occasionally her mouth would open wide, revealing dirt had somehow gotten inside, and he assumed either she had gotten a mouthful in her struggle or Marie had shoved a handful of the soil into her big trap. He settled with the latter, feeling it was a good punishment for Sarah mouthing off to him. May seemed to be holding back when she kicked Sarah in the stomach, but it only made sense, considering who Sarah was to May and Eddward decided not to hold that against her. Marie grabbed the young teen, pulled her to her feet, and brought Sarah's head down onto her knee. Immediately Sarah fell down and blood gushed from her nose, onto oher uniform.

There was a pause as they looked back to Eddward, as if to ask if they were done, and he raised his brow, questioningly. They knew the rules. He had not given them the word to stop, and when he motioned for them to continue, they grudgingly faced the girl once more. Lee sat on Sarah's chest, bringing all of her weight to crush Sarah's chest, and wrapped her hands around the teen's neck. When her face began to turn into a deep shade of purple Lee, let go and sent her fist flying into Sarah's face, hitting her squarely in her already swollen eye. Marie pulled Lee off of the girl and threw her body onto the ground, driving her elbow into Sarah's rib cage. Judging by the look on Sarah's face, there must have been a horrible snap and possibly a broken bone.

The music coming from his headphones was loud enough to mask Sarah's screams, but safe enough as to not harm his eardrums. He listened to the song currently playing, Death Letter, waiting for it to end before interrupting the girls who all kicked Sarah. Eventually it came to a finish and he pulled out his headphones. He listened to the screams a while longer, savoring the sounds of agony, violent skin to skin contact, and the anticipation of the next blow. With a simple clearing of his throat, the three Kankers stopped what they were doing and looked to him, surrounding the crying girl who had curled into a ball. Eddy's eyes were wide and on Sarah, and Eddward couldn't help but roll his eyes. How had the dimwit not gotten used to this by now? Then again, he was Eddy, the weakest link of the trio.

"Thank you, ladies. I believe Ed has your payment. Cash, of course. Now scurry back to your rathole," he said, delight in his voice. The three didn't even bother to look offended by his comment and cut through the woods to the trailer park. Once they left, Eddward walked slowly to Sarah who looked up at him in terror. "What is my name?"

She closed her eyes tight and took a deep, shaky breath. "Eddward."

"And what were you saying to me earlier?"

Her lip trembled as she spoke. "Nothing. I am sorry."

"Apology accepted. Have a nice day," he said as he waved his hand for Eddy to start walking with him. He paused for a moment as he thought of the dreadful stains in Sarah's outfit and turned back to face her. "Oh, Sarah, dear. To get those stains out, use a combination of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap, and make sure to check it before putting it into dryer. Gentle dry. Should work like a charm."

With that ordeal settled, Eddward left with his friend and didn't bother to look back at Sarah. One might be worried that she would go crying to her parents or the police, but ever since the whole Jimmy fiasco, no one dared to do so. Being labeled as a tattletale in Eddward's domain was a dishonorable title, sending the tattletale into ostracization, condemning to the title for as long as they stuck around the town. He was more than confident that Sarah would keep her mouth shut. No one tattled anymore and no one's parents seemed to care. Sarah's parents might ask and she would most likely come up with some story to cover the truth. If they didn't believe her, she would make them believe.

Dark grey clouds had covered the sky, but the sun was unyielding, shining through as much as it could manage. It was a quarter past five, and Eddward was annoyed that he had spent most of his day already. He wondered what to do next since he had cleared today's schedule to settle the conflict with Sarah. Eddward walked as he thought to himself with Eddy trailing behind him at a respectable distance. No one was outside, so he couldn't play with anyone, not that he really wanted to. Eddy was submissive, as he should have been, and he'd already done every experiment he could think of on the stumpy boy. Soon Eddward's mind wandered through a winding maze until the only thing he could see was Kevin.

It had been that way for months now, ever since the night at the playground. All Eddward would have to do was pass him in the hallways at school and Kevin would be runnin through his mind for the remainder of the day. Eventually it got to the point where he didn't have to see Kevin to think about him. He could only go a few hours with his thoughts uninterrupted until the boy seeped back into brain, and even then his mind seemed unusually blank. A clear mind was not what Eddward was used to. It was normal for his brain to be continuously active. He would think of Mozart, Van Gogh, calculus, physics, the steps to solving a 9 x 9 Rubik's cube, which university to go to, but his mind never went blank when he thought about one person and he never thought about one person as much as he thought about Kevin. Even the thought of bacteria and germs were absent when the ginger was present on his mind. Kevin, the boy who meant nothing to him until a few months ago-- no, who continued to mean nothing to him. Of course the teen was just as inconsequential to him as anyone else, so how was he finding a way into Eddward's thoughts?

"Eddward?"

He looked up to see that Eddy was watching him cautiously. The two of them had stopped walking and Eddward looked around to see that they were in front of Kevin's house. How bothersome. Here he was, thinking of the redhead and just so happened to stop in front of his house without even realizing it. With a look of annoyance, but rather at himself than Eddy, though his little friend wouldn't be able to tell the difference, he glared at Eddy.

The boy shuddered and Eddward raised his eyebrows. "Go," he whispered. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen the stumpy teen run faster than he did at that moment. Eddward watched his friend leave, heading toward the trailer park where he lived. Some time ago, Eddy’s mother had moved to the United States with her boyfriend, who completely despised Eddy. After she had left, Eddy began to stay with his older brother, who moved back to Peach Creek in the trailer park. It was a sad story to most, but Eddward didn't really care.

Once Eddy was out of view, Eddward walked up the driveway of Kevin's house and knocked on the front door. From the other side of the thick oak, he heard a scuffle and the clinking of beer bottles and a few seconds later, the door opened. Kevin looked at him questioningly and Eddward pushed passed him, inviting himself in. There was a soft thud and the clicking of the door shutting from behind him and he looked around the room. It was just as disgusting as before, if not more. There seemed to be a sea of beer bottles that Kevin must've had to wade through to get to the door. On the TV played a special about sharks, the glorious creatures they were. His gaze moved from the television to Kevin and he studied him briefly, allowing himself only a short glance as to not draw suspicion. He wanted to know why Kevin was in his thoughts, and he felt it was important to investigate. Maybe he had become obsessed in breaking the redhead and that was the cause of it all. There was nothing peculiar about Kevin, and nothing physically that would be the cause of Eddward's dilemma. He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting; a mysterious purple cloud of magic surrounding Kevin? It seemed highly unlikely that Kevin would be doing this on purpose and the teen probably didn't even know it was happening. Besides, magic was completely fictional and he doubted that even if it were real, Kevin, of all people, would not be able to produce any form of mystical power. Though, the thought got Eddward wondering. At this point, and Eddward felt silly for thinking such a thing, it seemed like the most logical solution. Perhaps the things Ed believed and read in his comic books were true.

"Hey, Eddward," Kevin spoke unwaveringly. "Is everything alright?"

The more Eddward thought about it, the more he believed the suspicion that he was under a spell procured by Kevin, a product of extremely advanced evolution, to weaken him. With a scowl on his face, he ignored the teen's question and headed for the stairs. He knew Kevin would follow him into his bedroom, but he didn't care. Upon entering the room, his eyes searched for something that would confirm his assumptions, but when nothing laid on the surfaces, he began to frantically pull everything apart. He searched the books on Kevin's dresser, reading the titles and quickly skimming through them before discarding the book to the floor. He checked each drawer, the smell of fresh linen filling his nose each time he opened a draw, and feeling brave, even in his state of panic, he dug through the drawers. When he found nothing, he ran to the bed and pulled both the comforter and the pillows off. Eddward quickly glanced at Kevin, who stared at him fearfully, before leaning over and checking under the bed, which was disappointingly clear. So far he had come up empty, but he was certain there would be something in the nightstand. Eddward pulled out each drawer with such a force that they fell out, spilling the contents onto the ground. There was a notebook, a few pens, a wrench and a few other nicknacks, but no signs of witchcraft. His hope began to diminish, and with one last leap of faith, he picked up the notebook and skimmed through it. There were a few pages of algebraic equations and notes on Shakespearen literature, but absolutely no magic.

He threw the notebook aside and jumped up from the ground. Kevin stumbled backwards into the hallway as Eddward walked quickly to him, and pushed the ginger into the wall, placing an arm on each side of him. The moment was brief and lasted no more than a few seconds. It stirred something inside of Eddward, something completely unknown to him, but he didn't bother staying long enough to find out what it was and it would only add more questions later. He was already gone and out of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Norman Stansfield is a character portrayed by Gary Oldman in Leon the Professional. If you have not seen the movie, I suggest you do! It's a great movie. A little brutal, but who doesn't like brutal?


	5. Chapter 5: Hello Operator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Life has been super crazy with the holidays and my new job. I am working nearly forty hours a week, so today will be a Wednesday update instead.
> 
> Just as a forewarning, there is sexual content in this chapter.

When Eddward was fourteen, his parents had noticed his drastic changes. His father talked to him, as he put it, "man to man", but neither of his parents had ever been very good at the whole parenting thing. He claimed that if Eddward continued down the path he was heading, his life would be in ruins and any chance he had at a successful future would be terminated. After his father's failed attempt, his mother made her rounds, however, her strategy was the nurture-over-nature philosophy, claiming that she loved her son more than anything and would do anything she had to in order to help him. Overall, Eddward understood that what they were saying as "stop what you are doing because it's too difficult for us to understand." When he didn't change his ways, they decided it would be in his best interest to send him to the Peach Creek mental facility, a small building on the other side of town that hardly anyone knew existed. Of course he was upset, but he figured he would be out of the place in no time. This, however, was not how it worked out.

 

In the duration of his stay at the Peach Creek mental facility, which lasted only nine months, he found it very difficult to obey authority, something he also struggled with all of his teachers. Some days, he just couldn't handle the ignorance of the nurses and would snap at them. At one point in time, he had made a female caretaker leave group therapy crying after he told her to "do her blood pressure a favor and eat a salad", and he'd even caused a few other members of staff to transfer to different facilities. Of course many parents of the other patients complained of Eddward's behavior, which ultimately lead to his transfer. The therapist he had assigned to him threatened solitary confinement and he had spent a total of two weeks in the room, spread out of course, but Eddward found it comforting. The room smelled of disinfectant and was much cleaner, it appeared, than any other room, especially the group area. He did not like the other children much, and he was sure they despised him just as equally. At one point, a large blond boy, whose name Eddward did not catch, began to provoke Eddward, which was rather unfortunate for the boy, who came out of the situation with three broken fingers and several bruises. The fight caused Eddward 5 hours of solitary confinement.

 

Eddward's therapist at the facility had diagnosed Eddward with excessive OCD and an extreme anxiety disorder, but this wasn't new news to the teen. With his fascination with psychology, he had learned this long ago, but when the therapist had prescribed him Zoloft, an antidepressant that also acted as medication for anxiety, he discovered that it lowered his panicking thoughts immensely. It was eye opening since he always believed himself to be above drugs, but he eventually accepted that some seemed to enhance his performance. He took them with pleasure. Prescribing the medication to Eddward seemed to be the only thing his therapist had done right.

 

He was an idiot, and believed the source of Eddward's problems were his inability to find himself. Eddward found the accusations ridiculous. There was no source of his problems because he had no problems; he was completely content with the person he had become, in fact, he rather enjoyed his new self. Of course the therapist declared that Eddward was in denial, and perhaps he was. No matter, he had, indeed, found himself and that was exactly why he was the way he was. Eddward was relieved when they transferred him to another facility, where he received a new therapist, a kind woman who had high hopes for him. The teen used this to his advantage, and played her like he would a piano. Each month, there would be evaluations held and if the evaluation went well, he would be bumped up to the next level. It started with Bronze, followed by Silver and finally Gold. In three short months of good behavior and sickenly sweet kindness, he was out and sent back home.

 

Apparently, his absence had not been missed and it seemed that everyone had forgotten about him, assuming he would be gone forever. No one but Ed and Eddy knew of where he was, and according to his friends, everyone had hypothesized he had moved away. His parents were never home, who would know the difference? However, they were wrong.

 

_Eddward had gotten home late in the afternoon after his parents picked him up from the facility, and upon his arrival, he made it very clear that no matter what they did he would get out and he was, by no means, changing for them. They must have gotten the message because they didn’t stop him when he left the house, slamming the door behind him. He’d walked to Ed’s house first and knocked on the door. Sarah answered and the blood immediately drained from her face, but she remained strong with a stern, yet annoyed look in her eyes and clenched jaw._

 

_“Ed,” he stated blankly. Without another word, Sarah left to find her older brother. To say Ed was excited to see him wouldn’t be correct, but disappointment wouldn't be the right word either. He must have known this day would come. They left for the trailer park, and on their way ran into a few of their childhood friends. All of them scattered away from the scene, running to their homes, but one teen remained in his driveway, oblivious to the world due to the headphones playing in his ears. Eddward grinned and told Ed to fetch Eddy before making his way to the teen._

 

_Kevin, the redhead who had bullied Eddward as a child, was bent over his bike, adjusting and oiling the chain. Eddward walked casually to the unsuspecting boy with his back was turned to Eddward, and he nearly jumped a foot in the air when Eddward pulled a headphone from his ear. “Boo.”_

 

_The ginger whirled around to face Eddward and backed against his bike, sending it to fall to the ground with a clang. Terror was clear on his face as well as confusion. It was apparent that no one expected Eddward home anytime soon, but that was too good to be true._

 

_“What are you up to, Pumpkin?”_

 

_Kevin hesitated, the words or scream, caught in his throat._

 

_“Working on your bike, I see. You really shouldn’t knock it over like that; you might bend the frame,” Eddward said, observing the bike. Red frame, customized wheels, and pegs. All the makings of a teenage boy’s ideal bicycle. The dark haired teen leaned over and picked the bike up carefully, before propping it back onto it’s kickstand. Kevin remained silent. “No thank you? Or welcome back, for that matter? How rude you are, Pumpkin. Perhaps I should teach you some manners.”_

 

_Kevin’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, as he attempted to speak. “I’m sorry-- I didn’t mean to-- I just… Welcome back, Eddward, and thank you.”_

 

_Eddward rolled his eyes. “I appreciate the effort, but it’s a little too late for that.” He pulled his fist back and brought it to the boy’s face._

 

Guilt sunk in. Eddward didn’t know what brought him to think of this particular moment in time. His mind had been doing that to him quite often recently, delving further and further into the past even though he didn’t care for such things. It also eventually lead to Kevin, and ever since his last visit to the teen’s house, his thoughts became more intense. A flutter was sent throughout him as he thought of the boy’s ginger hair and the freckles spread out like a galaxy on his face. He caught himself licking his lips once those hazel eyes were all Eddward could see when he closed his own brown eyes, and scowled at himself in disgust. This, whatever he was feeling, was not good, that he knew for sure, and he was positive he’d only felt this way once before. When Eddward was younger, he’d developed a crush on Nazz, but that immediately faded after his transformation and now that it was back, he couldn’t help the panic swarming his body.

 

He took pride in his asexuality, and saw anything else as a distraction; a weakness. Kevin was breaking him, and Eddward felt foolish for allowing it to go on this long without him noticing. He felt even more foolish that he assumed Kevin was using magic of all things. There was no magic involved and if he hadn’t been so blind, he could have caught it earlier on and put a stop to it. His heart began to race as he desperately searched his brain for a way to bring it to a stop, but his thoughts kept drifting towards Kevin.

 

Kevin. Kevin. Kevin. _Kevin_. Why was this feeble-minded, asinine little cretin making such an impact on him? He was nothing but an opprobrious imbecile, incompetent of performing any task that didn’t involve the motorcycle he’d saved up for. So absorbed and obsessed with the damn thing. Truly oblivious of the grease he had wiped onto his forehead. Ignorant of the fact that as he drank from his water bottle, water dripped down his chin and throa--  Eddward dug the heels of his palms into his eye sockets and attempted to push the memory from last summer out of his head.

 

This was only a weakness, it could be overcomed. It would just require _time_ and _patience_.

 

The teen let his hands run down his face, stopping them at his mouth as yet another thought, or more so, idea popped into his head, and no matter how hard he tried to shake it, it remained unmoved. Eddward thought of Kevin shirtless, imagining the boy’s tanned shoulders were sprinkled with golden freckles. He could almost feel the teen’s chest and abdomen on the tip of his tongue, and before he knew it, he thought of Kevin’s warm mouth wrapped around--

 

Shocked by his own thoughts, Eddward stood up from the bed and paced his room before deciding on leaving his room. It was a very rare occasion when Eddward decided to spend an extended amount of time somewhere other than his bedroom, but it was only one other room. He stepped into his boots and walked down the stairs to the living room, where his mother’s piano resided. A glorious and mystical creature was she, in pristine condition, perfectly smooth and glowing with a finish coat over her black form. Eddward sat at the stool, placed his hands upon the keys and feet on the pedals.

 

When Eddward was just a small child, his mother had forced him into lessons, but he never complained. After all, it seemed to be the only bonding time he ever had with his mother and when he was younger, he cherished those moments. She had called him a natural, _perhaps even a prodige_ , but over time, the lessons with his mother slowly came to a stop. It was very rare when Eddward decided to play, but every so often, when his mind was too clouded and the medication didn’t help, he would play. It soothed him.

 

His hands roamed the keys, in a random melody of his own. He never found it very appealing to use other’s work and it was much more comforting to let his hands to go their own course. Eddward took pride in his inability to makes mistakes as he played, long fingers dancing along the piano. The melody he played today was fast and rather upbeat, matching his heart’s pace. He played and played, but no matter how much he fiddled with the keys, Kevin wouldn’t leave his mind. Eddward continued to play, missing a key causing him to play off note and he slammed his hands down on the keys, a notion his mother would condemn if she was present; a notion, if under different circumstances, Eddward, himself would be appalled by his own actions. He stood up, pushed the stool under the piano and retreated back to his room.

 

His pants were tight around his groin as he fell on the bed. He quickly began to realize that nothing would rid him of this feeling unless he took care of it himself, and the thought caused Eddward to scowl at himself as he ran his left hand down his stomach. It was a disgusting act that only proved him to be weak. He ran his hand over his jeans, rubbing his member through the thick fabric. There was a pause before he unbuttoned his pants, revealing his red boxers, and the chill air caused him to recoil, but only slightly. Eddward lifted his lower body from the bed and pushed down both his pants and underwear. He hesitated once his hand gripped the warm flesh. He hadn’t done this in years; he didn’t have any need to. He found more pleasure in the pain he had brought to others. This was completely foreign to him now.

 

With a deep breath, he began to stroke himself. It was soft at first, as he thought about running his fingers threw Kevin’s red hair and tracing the boy’s chest and stomach. Once the thoughts grew heavier, his grip became tighter as he pumped furiously. Eddward thought of Kevin’s mouth wrapped around his cock, wet and warm and sucking. Tongue tracing his velvety head and flicking over the slit at the top. He could feel the orgasm coming, and he was almost at his climax when he thought of Kevin buried deep inside of him. The very thought sent him over the edge, spilling his cum onto his shirt. After a few more strokes, he laid there in complete ecstasy, staring up at the ceiling above him.

 

When he regained himself, he pulled up his pants, carefully peeled the shirt off and threw it into his hamper. Even after he had taken care of himself, he knew that he would never be free of Kevin. The redhead continued to roam his thoughts and he enjoyed it, but what scared Eddward the most was that he wanted Kevin. He didn’t want to hurt Kevin anymore, or even break him, but he had to. Eddward couldn’t afford to let his guard down or have any weaknesses. Kevin’s power over him had to cease and Eddward would make absolute sure of it.

 

* * *

 

Kevin had to be stopped, or at least, whatever fictitious delusion of the boy Eddward had created in his mind. The best way to do so was to eradicate it from the source, and Eddward had come up with a plan. He had to crush whatever feelings he had for Kevin and in doing so, he would have to hurt Kevin. No, a beating would not suffice. It had to be much worse, but it would take _time_. _Patience_. First, he would have to continue with the first part of his original desire; befriend Kevin. If he could do that, he would find no difficulties in completing his final objective.

 

A long time ago, Eddward had spent a little time in collecting all the children of the cul-de-sac's cell phone numbers, that was, if they possessed one. It was not very often that he called, or even texted one of them. Most of them were oblivious to the fact that he had their phone number. If they received a new phone or number, it was only a matter of time before he found out and acquired their new digits. Eddward thought the best way to help further the new found friendship with Kevin along was to do what normal teenagers did and text him. He couldn't deny the anxiety brewing in him once he sent the first text.

 

> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:16:29`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Hello.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------

 

He waited patiently, legs crossed and back perfectly upright, with his phone in front of him on the bed. A few minutes of waiting. Patiently waiting. _Patience is a virtue, Eddward._ The seconds passed, turning into minutes. What felt like hours was only twenty minutes when the other teen finally responded.

 

> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:36:17`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `who is this  
> `\---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:36:38`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Take a wild guess.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------

 

More minutes passed, nine minutes and forty-three seconds, to be exact.

 

> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:45:21`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `uh man idk nazz`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:45:29`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Your lack of punctuation grieves me.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:49:11`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Eddward?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:50:02`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Ding ding. We have a winner.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------

 

The response was almost immediate.

 

> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:50:15`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `oh hey sorry i didnt know it was you  
> `\---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:50:33`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Obviously.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:51:17`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `yeah`
> 
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:51:23`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `whats up`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:52:06`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Absolutely nothing.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:52:43`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `oh ok do u need something`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:53:12`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `No. I just thought we’d have a little chat.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:53:43`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `ok bout what`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------

 

_About what?_ About what? Eddward hadn’t really thought it through. What would they talk about? How on earth would he possibly build a friendship with Kevin? He had not a clue as to what they could talk about. This was certainly proving itself to be a difficult and tedious task.

 

> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 19:57:17`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `That is what friend’s do, yes?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 19:58:34`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `friends`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:01:07`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Is that a statement or a question?`  
> `Remember, Pumpkin, punctuation is important.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:03:21`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `it was a question. srry`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:04:20`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `No need to apologize.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:04:56`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `why do you want to be friends`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:05:20`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `I find your bland sense of humor and cowardice truly endearing.`  
> `Do I really need a reason?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:06:14`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `no i guess not`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:06:59`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `You are free to choose whether or not you will accept my friendship,`  
> `though I strongly advise you do not refuse my offer. As you can imagine,`  
> `there are perks to being my friend.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:07:15`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `we can be friends`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:08:24`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Excellent. What are you doing currently?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:08:32`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `sitting in my room why?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:10:45`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Would you be opposed to going out?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:11:41`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `right now? on a school night?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:12:12`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Yes, right now, on a school night.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:13:02`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `idk i have a test tmrrw so…`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:12:12`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `What class?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:13:02`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `algebra 2`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 21:13:26`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `Subject?`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 21:14:21`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `quadratic equations. im prolly gonna bomb it.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------

 

Eddward grinned. What a perfect opportunity.

 

> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:13:26`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `I could help you study, if you are willing to spare an hour or two.`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 20:14:07`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `you d do that? wow awesome man`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Pumpkin`  
> `From: Me (8075550221)`  
> `Sent: 20:14:33`  
> `Subject: (none)`  
> `I am sure you want to get out of your house, yes? We can have our study`  
> `session at my place of residence. Bring your textbook and study packet,`  
> `along with whatever else you may need. Don’t bother with a (1/2)`  
> `calculator, unless, of course, you have some sort of attachment to yours.`  
> `I will see you in ten minutes.(2/2)`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------

 

Not bothering to check for a reply, Eddward stood up and quickly paced his room, thinking of what to do to prepare for Kevin’s arrival. His room, spotless. Bathroom, spotless. He hardly touched the other rooms of the house, so he needn’t worry about that. The teen stepped into his bathroom and studied his reflection. Should he take off his hat or change into some more casual clothes to perhaps make himself look sympathetic and comfortable? Friends are comfortable around each other, yes. He took off his hat, revealing his disheveled black hair, shortly followed by his red sweater, leaving him in a white t-shirt. After furthering his studies of his reflection, he decided against leaving his hat off. He didn’t want to look too comfortable, and besides, how could he think such a thing? Eddward never went anywhere without his hat.

 

He ran his fingers through his hair in attempts to tame his hair, and when a few minutes passed, he gave up and scowled at himself. How pathetic of him worrying about his appearance. It had nothing to do with looking sympathetic or comfortable, and he knew he couldn’t lie to himself. He wanted to look appealing to the redhead, and the desire meant he had to hurry in playing out his plan. _Make friends first, of course. You can do that, Eddward_ , he thought to himself. It was much easier now that an opportunity presented itself to him. If this study session went well, he could easily gain Kevin’s trust.

 

The doorbell rang and Eddward’s heart began to race. Another scowl as he tried to calm himself. Eddward checked the clock on his wall before heading downstairs; Kevin was three minutes early.

 

“Hello, Pumpkin,” Eddward said once he opened the door, sending a chilling breeze to bite his skin.

 

Standing on the doorstep in only a pair of jeans and what Eddward was sure was a band t-shirt, the boy’s teeth were chattering as he shivered in the cold, holding his textbook close to his chest. Goosebumps trailed his freckled arms and when Eddward invited the boy in-- _“Please, do come in”_ \-- Kevin’s glasses immediately grew cloudy upon entering the house. The ginger looked around the living room, allowing his eyes to wander, and jumped when Eddward spoke after closing the door.

 

“My room is upstairs. We will have our study session there. Would you like to have something to eat or drink?”

 

Kevin shook his head. “No thanks. I’m good.”

 

“Really? Well, I, myself, am terribly hungry,” Eddward said, making his way to the kitchen and Kevin cautiously trailed behind him. The dark haired teen opened the fridge and pulled out a water bottle as well as a fruit cup. “Are you sure you aren’t hungry?”

 

“I mean… I guess I could have something,” Kevin smiled nervously.

 

Eddward held out an arm, gesturing to the cupboards and fridge. “Please, help yourself. Mi casa es tu casa.”

 

While Kevin began to search for something to eat, Eddward opened the water bottle, poured a few Xanax from his pill bottle into his hand, and threw them back before chasing them with water. Kevin settled on a bowl of potato chips and a can of Coke and they made their way to Eddward’s room. Immediately they went to work, Eddward very calmly explaining the equations to Kevin, careful not to get upset when he had to explain more than once. Occasionally his mind would wander, much like it was doing now. It was hard for his thoughts not to get lost when the other teen was chewing on his pencil, and running his hands through his ginger hair.

 

“Eddward?”

 

Eddward blinked a few times and looked to the teen. “Yes?”

 

“So what about this one? x2\+ 12x = 0? How does that work? There is no c or a,” Kevin said, frustration perfectly clear on his face.

 

“They are both there, you just can’t see them. A equals 1. We don’t write 1x2. C isn’t shown because it’s a 0.”

 

Kevin’s hazel eyes moved from Eddward, to the packet in front of him. “So, technically it’s 1x2 \+ 12x + 0 = 0?”

 

“Technically, yes.”

 

“Oh… Oh! I get it now. So to solve it, what do I do?”

 

Eddward pointed to the equation at the top of the packet: x = [ -b ± √(b2-4ac) ] / 2a. “You have all the coefficients, so now all you have to do is plug them in.”

 

“Coefficients?”

 

“A, b, and c.”

 

“Oh, ok. I got it,” Kevin murmured, before writing down the equation and putting in the coefficients.

 

“And then you use the order of operations.”

 

“Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, right?” Kevin grinned at him.

 

“Yes, Aunt Sally has quite the mouth on her.”

 

Kevin laughed, ringing in Eddward’s ear. He hadn’t heard the boy laugh in a long time, something of his own doing. The guilt settled in, burrowing itself deep into his heart. He rolled his head, cracking his neck and pushed the thoughts aside.

 

“So x equals 0 or -12?” Kevin asked once he finished the equation.

 

“Yes, you did well.”

 

Kevin grinned and leaned back with a look of triumph plastered on his face. “Man, I get it now. Thanks, Double D--” His eyes widened. “I mean, Eddward. I am sorry-- I didn’t mean to--”

 

The other teen held up his hand. “Don’t fret. It was an honest mistake. Just don’t make it again.”

 

“Yeah, sorry. I won’t, I promise,” Kevin said skeptically.

 

Eddward looked to the clock on his wall. “Well, it’s almost 10. You should get going so you have a full night of sleep before your test.”

 

The two stood up as Kevin scrambled to collect his things. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, man. I won’t bomb the test anymore thanks to you.”

 

“It was my pleasure, Pumpkin,” Eddward smiled before leading the boy downstairs and out of the house. “Good luck.”

 

“Thanks!”

 

Once Kevin left, Eddward took a deep breath. That went well, very well, in fact. Gaining the teen’s trust would be easier than he thought, though he knew Kevin would still be skeptical of Eddward’s sudden proposal of friendship. He went back to his room, ready to retire for the night and laid on his bed when his phone vibrated.

 

> \---------------------------------------------------------  
> `To: Me (8075550221)`  
> `From: Pumpkin`  
> `Sent: 21:56:18`  
> `Subject: :)`  
> `thnx eddward you really saved my ass`  
> \---------------------------------------------------------

 


	6. Rag & Bone

Double D. Double D. Kevin had called him Double D; an honest mistake. However, it had dug it’s way under his skin and burrowed into his brain, distracting him at all hours the following day. Obviously Kevin prefered Double D over Eddward, and who wouldn’t? Just because Eddward enjoyed his new self didn’t mean others would as well, and it was true that unlike Double D, Eddward was not known to be helpful or display any random acts of kindness. As Eddward had said the previous day, it was an honest mistake on Kevin’s part to get the two mixed up, but it still clung to Eddward’s thoughts, drowning him in self pity.

He wandered the halls of Peach Creek High School during his fourth hour class-- Shakespearean Literature, a class he usually enjoyed, but hadn’t even bothered going to today-- hoping to find a way to distract himself, and he did once his eyes landed on a familiar pale-skinned boy. He was dressed in a button up and a pair of tacky blue jeans. Jimmy looked almost sickly, as he always did, and Eddward contemplated leaving the boy alone, rather than get his hands dirty, but he decided against it. A distraction was required at the moment.

“Metal-mouth! What a pleasant surprise!” Eddward shouted down the hall.

Jimmy looked up and stopped dead in his tracks. His blue eyes were open, jumping from Eddward to his surroundings. Surely he was looking for a way around the older teen, and Eddward openly accepted whatever challenge the weasel might have to offer.

“Do it, if you think it will help you,” Eddward shrugged, and with that, Jimmy turned around, his shoe slipping on the slick floor, causing him to nearly lose his balance. He took off, and Eddward watched him briefly as the boy turned a corner, counting down from ten. A ten second head start.

10…

9…

8…

7…

6--

Oh, to hell with a head start.

Eddward took off, bolting in the direction that Jimmy had gone. He was sure that the boy was heading back towards his classroom, and he had taken a right at the end of the main hall. There were only five classrooms in that direction. Two in one hall, Ms. Johnson, who taught English 9 and Mrs. Wright, Public Speaking; two in another, Mr. Binder, Health, and Mrs. DuBois, French; and the last one in it’s own hall, Mr. Tran, an art teacher. Jimmy was in Grade 10, and of average intelligence, so English 9 was out of the question. Public Speaking wasn’t a required class, and it was quite possibly the last class the tattletale would even consider taking. Health, possible; French, probable, but Eddward knew the boy better than that. 

He took a right at the end of the hall, going in the opposite direction of the two English classes and towards the Art classroom. A grin appeared on his face when he saw that he was right as Jimmy began jogging weakly to the room. He had used all of his energy in the initial sprint to get away from Eddward and slowed him down; he should have paced himself. They two passed both the French and Health classrooms, and Eddward was nearly stepping on Jimmy’s heels. Eddward could grab him and pull him to the ground, but he was exhilarated by the fear poor Jimmy had. It was nearly radiating off of him. The anxiety, at this point, must have been causing the boy’s heart to beat faster and faster with each step. Eddward could practically hear each thump thump thump of Jimmy’s heart over his heavy breathing.

They were approximately five feet away from the classroom door when Jimmy reached out for the handle just as Eddward gripped the teen’s collar and tossed him aside. Jimmy stumbled until he fell to the ground on his rump and turned around to accept his fate.

“You aren’t trying to get away! How very commendable of you, brace-face.”

The boy began to tremble violently. “P-please, Eddward.”

“Begging. Now that’s not very admirable.”

“I won’t tell anyone!”

Eddward began to giggle. “Now that… That’s humorous. A tattletale swearing not to tell a soul.” He lightly placed his foot on Jimmy’s shoulder before shoving him to the ground. “Tell me why I should believe you.”

Jimmy hesitated. “I’ve changed! I have! I’m not the same ninny I was before!”

“You’ve changed?”

The blond smiled weakly and nodded his head profusely.

“What if you’ve changed into a liar? That would mean you are lying right now.”

“No! I’m not! I promise!”

Eddward let out an exasperated sighed. “I just can’t find it in me to believe you, Jimmy sweet. Maybe next time--”

“No! Please! Please! I’ll do anything!” Jimmy interrupted.

The taller teen scowled and kicked the boy in the jaw, creating a loud popping sound. Immediately Jimmy began to sob. Eddward knelt down, resting his bottom on his heels, and leaned in towards the boy. “Don’t interrupt me, simpleton.”

“Hey, Eddward,” a voice called from behind the two, followed by the sound of the door clicking shut behind them. Eddward looked over his shoulder to find Kevin, who was carrying a box of paint. A smile crept onto Eddward’s face upon seeing the redhead.

“Hello, Pumpkin,” he said as he stood up and pointlessly brushed off his jacket. “What brings you to this side of the school? I believe you have shop this period.”

“Yeah, I do. Boyle sent me to ask Tran if he’s got any, like, spare paint we can use for our projects,” Kevin answered.

Eddward nodded. “I see.”

Kevin looked to Jimmy, who was watching the two with wide eyes. He looked to Kevin, pleadingly, and a sick feeling washed over the ginger. “Hey, man, so what’s up with Jimmy?”

With a sigh, Eddward shrugged. “I got bored.” And needed to get my mind off of you.

“Yeah, I’m pretty bored too. Let’s say we blow this joint after I drop this off to Boyle?”

Oh. Kevin was protecting Jimmy. He wasn’t friends with the boy, that Eddward knew of, but he must have felt some sort of empathy for Jimmy, having been in his shoes at one time or another. If it were any other person, Eddward would have laughed in their face, and maybe brought a fist to it as well. However, this was Kevin; Pumpkin-- No. He wasn’t doing this for Kevin. He was doing this for his plan to crush Kevin. He was doing this so he could befriend Kevin. If Kevin saw that he could easily persuade Eddward, befriending him would be much easier.

“Alright,” Eddward frowned thoughtfully before looking to Jimmy. “Move along, rat.”

Jimmy scrambled to his feet and hurried towards the classroom, but Eddward caught his arm. “Breath a word to this to anyone and Kevin won’t be able to save you next time.” The boy nodded his head and ran into the classroom.

The two headed towards Mr. Boyle’s classroom in silence. Once they were halfway there, Kevin spoke up. “So, what’d Jimmy do to piss you off?”

“Breathing.”

“Man, that’s harsh.”

“Why, Kevin, aren’t you growing bolder by the minute.”

“Sorry. I mean, kid’s a twerp, but I don’t think he deserves to get beat up every time he breathes around you.”

“Do you, now?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you talking about yourself, or Jimmy?” 

“Both, I guess,” Kevin said after a moment of hesitation.

Eddward was silent as he thought of what to say next. He wanted to be careful choosing his words, as to not upset the ginger. “I apologize for the harm I caused you in the past.”

Kevin stopped walking and it took a moment for Eddward to realize that the boy was no longer at his side. He looked over his shoulder before stopping as well and turned to face the boy. “Is there a problem?”

The redhead shook his head. “No, it’s just… I never thought I would hear that.”

“Me apologize?”

“Yeah.”

“So why have you stopped?”

“I don’t know. Man, you’re serious. You actually want to be my friend. It’s not, like, some sort of joke.” It was more a question rather than a statement, and Eddward couldn’t help but smile softly. He hadn’t given the boy enough credit. Kevin was smart enough to think the sudden proposal of friendship was strange, but Eddward had to make him believe that it was not, in fact, a joke. Or a trick, for that matter.

“No, of course not. Why would it be?”

The two started to walk again, almost to the classroom. “I don’t know.”

“That seems to be your catchphrase.”

Kevin laughed. “Yeah, prolly because I don’t know a lot of things. Life’s a mystery.”

“Indeed it is, Pumpkin.”

The redhead slipped into the classroom and Eddward waited outside. It seemed like hours, but was only a mere four minutes. His heart was pounding and his stomach was a flutter. Simply being near the teen was causing him to practically lose control, and the fact that Kevin had offered to skip class with him had his heart soaring. Yes, it was to protect dear Jimmy, but it also meant that he was willing to spend time with him. Kevin grew up with Jimmy in the cul-de-sac, but Eddward found it hard to believe that Kevin would sacrifice his own safety in return for Jimmy’s simply because he empathized with the boy. Kevin must have wanted to be in Eddward’s presence. Eddward was too ecstatic to even attempt to scold himself. He knew that this meant his plan was going in the direction he needed it to go, but he couldn’t even bother to think about it.

“You ready? I told Boyle that I’m not feeling well, so we can bounce,” Kevin said once he left the classroom with his backpack in hand. “What should we do?”

“We could watch a movie at my residence.”

Kevin laughed. “Like what? A documentary?”

Another smile found its way onto Eddward’s face. How like the Kevin he once knew.

"I am sure we can find something else to watch."

They began to walk and Eddward found himself following Kevin through the many twist and turns of the hallways. Once again, it was silent between the two. It was, by no means, a comforting silence.

“How did your test go?” Eddward asked.

“What? Oh, my math test? Man, I feel really good about it. I think I passed.”

“Excellent. If you need anymore help, with any of your classes, I wouldn’t mind being of assistance.”

“Thanks, man.”

Silence. His mind began to wander as he thought about skipping class. Four years ago he wouldn’t have even entertained the idea. School was far too important to him at that point, but he found no point in going to class with a distracted mind. His grades remained superb and he was beyond the intelligence of this podunk town. Skipping a few classes here and there would not affect anything; it could even perhaps improve him. If he wanted to, he could go home and read a few books on psychology or physics and learn more in one day than he could in an entire month at Peach Creek High School.

Eddward looked down and chuckled to himself. Here he was, with Kevin and all he could think about was school. That was good. Very good.

“What’s so funny?”

The dark haired boy looked up and his eyes met Kevin’s. “Oh, nothing really. Just comparing the past to the present.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you see, Pumpkin, time is the unlimited and ongoing progress of existence. Present, being current time and past, being--”

“Dude, shut up,” Kevin laughed. “I know that part. I mean, like, what were you thinkin’ about?”

“Kevin, perhaps you should be more clear with your questions in the future,” Eddward grinned. “Just in case your silly little brain is confused, future means time that is to be or come hereafter.” He said it as quickly as he could before Kevin could cut him off again. 

“Eddward, I didn’t realize you were such a joker,” Kevin said dryly, with a soft smile on his lips.

“Most likely because you were too busy with your motorcycle.”

“Or gettin’ beat to a bloody pulp by you.”

“Touché, mon ami.”

They left the school building and cut through the parking lot.

Kevin looked up as though he were in deep thought. “Hey, man. I just remembered that you walk to school, right? Would it be weird if we just took my bike back to your house?”

Eddward’s heart began to pound hard and fast, but he ignored it. “Of course not.”

Once they reached the bike, Kevin handed Eddward his helmet, and Eddward inspected it cautiously. Kevin swung his leg over the bike, balanced it on both wheels before knocking the kickstand back, and planting his feet firmly on the ground. The other boy looked at the bike while holding the helmet awkwardly in his hands. He’d never been on a motorcycle. Was Kevin a reckless driver? Would he fall off? Would this helmet really protect him?

“Dude, it’s not bad. I promise,” Kevin said with a smirk. “But if you are afraid, I guess I can meet you at your house.”

Eddward rolled his eyes and scowled simultaneously before putting on the helmet. He carefully got onto the bike, resting his feet on the footpegs and putting as much space in between himself and the redhead as possible.

“Look, man, I’m not trying to be weird or anything, but you’re gonna need to be closer than that. You’re gonna fall off.” Kevin leaned on the handles as he looked back at Eddward, who grumbled as he inched closer. The redhead’s face grew a deep shade similar to his hair as he cleared his throat awkwardly. “You might want to hold on.”

Quickly, he turned around to start his motorcycle, turning the key and revving the engine. Eddward looked through the plastic shield for something to hold onto. What on earth could he hold onto? There were no handles of any sort. Oh. Kevin’s face had gone red. The only thing Eddward could hold onto was Kevin. Eddward’s intelligence seemed to be diminishing the longer he was with this buffoon. He took a deep, steady breath as he reached for Kevin’s sides, hesitating for a moment before finally gripping the boy’s hips.

How terribly awkward. This is quite possibly the worst moment of my life. How on earth did I allow myself in this position, giving Kevin complete control and putting my life in the boob’s hands? How could I allow this ignoramus into bullying me onto this deathtrap? This was a mistake, I can’t possibly go through with it. No, I am going to get off this blasted thing and tell the ginger to go fu--

Before he could finish his thought the motorcycle jerked forward and Eddward flung his upper body at Kevin, wrapping his arms tightly around Kevin’s chest. His mind was, for once in his seventeen years, completely blank as the scenery surrounding them blended together. There was a bump in the road that sent Eddward to unwillingly scootch forward. He had never been this close to Kevin, not even the night he tore apart Kevin’s room and shoved the boy against the wall. He’d never been this close, and though it should bother him, he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

Within a few short minutes, they arrived to Eddward’s house. It took Eddward a moment to gather himself, but when he did he hopped off the bike quickly, his legs shaking slightly as he took a few steps and causing him to stumble. He heard snickering from behind him, and after fumbling with the helmet strap for a few seconds, he removed the helmet and glared at Kevin.

“If you value your life, you won’t speak a word of this to anyone.”

Kevin grinned as he cut off the engine and pulled the key from the bike. “You know, I never realized that you were human, man.” He put down the kickstand and mounted off the motorcycle.

“What else would I be?”

“I dunno. An alien probably,” he said taking the helmet from Eddward and strapping it to the back seat.

Eddward scoffed and began walking towards his front door, pulling his medication out of his pocket. He pulled out a few pills and popped them into his mouth, throwing his head back as he did so. “An alien.”

“Yeah, extra terrestrial.”

“Be careful, Pumpkin. You wouldn’t want to overwork your small brain with big words,” he said opening the door and walking inside the house. Kevin followed closely behind and shut the door behind them.

“Ouch, man. Resorting to insults?”

Eddward grinned at the teen over his shoulder. “Kevin, I don’t have to resort to insults. You do enough to make yourself look like a fool.”

“A fool that knows how to spell gravy.”

“It seems we’ve come down to bringing each other’s past mistakes. Might I remind you that you were the one that gambled on my intelligence,” Eddward said as he removed his jacket and hung it up on the coat rack. He pulled his sweater over his head, causing his shirt to slide up his stomach and pulled it down, but not before catching Kevin’s eye.

Kevin looked away and shrugged. “Thought gravy would be easy enough to spell. You got all those other big words.”

“A simple miscalculation, but a miscalculation I will not be making again.”

“Yeah ‘cause Eddward doesn’t make any mistakes, right?”

“Precisely,” Eddward stated. Silence took hold of the room for a moment before Eddward clapped his hands together. “Well! What would you like to watch? I have several DVDs on the shelf next to the television. Most of them are my parents, though I can’t imagine what they would need with them. They aren’t ever here to watch them.”

Kevin walked to the shelf, dropped to his knees and looked through the DVDs. “Does that get lonely?”

“My parents’ absence?” Eddward pondered. “I suppose it should, but I’ve gotten use to it over the years.”

“I’d kill to be in your shoes, man. Can’t stand my dad, but--” Kevin erupted with laughter. “Do I know you, or what?” he turned and held up a DVD. “A Walk Through Mathematics? I was joking about the documentaries earlier, but man.”

Eddward shrugged. “It’s rather informative.”

“The Magic of the Unconscious? Inside Planet Earth? TV is supposed to be fun,” Kevin laughed.

“Education is fun, dear Pumpkin.”

“Sorry, man, but your movie collection blows.”

“And I suppose yours is better?”

“Well, yeah. A Walk Through Mathematics isn’t in it. Come on. Let’s pick out a movie at my house,” Kevin said standing up, straightening his jeans, and heading towards the door. His sudden initiative continued to surprise Eddward, but the raven haired teen grinned when Kevin turned around and asked, “I mean, if you are OK with that.”

“I suppose it isn’t a terrible idea.”

Once they reached his house, Kevin unlocked the door and lead the way to his room.

“If I let ya in my room, do you promise not to hulk out again?” Kevin grinned.  
Eddward stared at him, annoyed.

“Oh come on. I am only joking, Eddward.”

The two stepped into the room and walked to a bookshelf. Each shelf was packed with movie cases, all but the last shelf, which contained several manuals on motorcycles and car anatomy. Eddward got down on his knees and reached for a titleless leather bound book, but Kevin grabbed Eddward’s wrist, sending Eddward’s stomach in a flip. The delinquent raised a brow at Kevin, whose cheeks grew pink as he smiled nervously.

“Uh… Don’t… Don’t look at that. Please?”

“Why not?”

Kevin quickly let go of Eddward’s wrist and brought the hand to rub the back of his neck. “Because it’s personal.”

“Ooh, Pumpkin. You’ve peaked my interest. What on earth could you, of all people, be hiding?” he smirked as he grabbed the book. Kevin snatched it from his hands.

“Come on, Eddward. This is private.”

“Don’t friends show each other their private things?”

“No, even friends keep their private things private.”

Eddward shrugged. “Fine. You’ve made your point.”

Kevin sighed and once he seemed relaxed, Eddward lunged for the book, prying it from the redhead’s hands. He jumped to his feet and flipped through the pages. “Oh, so you are an artist?” He saw several sketches of motorcycles; designs with little notes next to them. What types of parts to use, what colours, how fast it would go.

“Hey! Stop it! Eddward, give it back to me!” Kevin had jumped up and was holding out his hand for the sketchbook. The other boy turned his back to the ginger and continued flipping through the book. There was a sketch of a few trees, birds, buildings. Kevin took a step closer as Eddward turned around. “Dude, this isn’t funny. Put it down. It’s mine, it’s personal. Please.”

“Very selfish, aren’t you, Pumpkin? So you drew a few trees and buildings? I don’t understand how that’s so personal. Share your toys with your friends.”

Kevin balled his fists as Eddward looked at each individual page until suddenly a fist was sent flying into Eddward’s jaw, knuckles trailing his lip. He dropped the sketchbook and his right hand came up to grab his jaw. Eddward looked up at Kevin who seemed just as shocked by his own actions as Eddward was. The dark haired teen looked at his blood covered hand and touched his lip, wincing at the sting it gave. 

“Shit. Shit. Shit. Eddward. Fuck. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to. It just happened. I am so sorry.”

Eddward remained shocked. Kevin had snapped. Was it out of anger? Embarrassment? Eddward had invaded the other boy’s privacy after being specifically asked not to. It wasn’t exactly how he wanted Kevin to snap. He wanted to break Kevin to stop whatever it was he was… feeling for the ginger. He wanted the boy to resort to his old behavior; to call him a dweeb, a dork. This was… different. Somehow it was completely different. Kevin seemed remorseful for striking Eddward. Or was it fear?

“Are you actually sorry, or are you just afraid that I am going to hit back harder?” Eddward asked, his voice muffled slightly behind his hand.

Kevin laughed shakily and stepped forward. “Maybe a lil’ of both.”

If it were anyone else, he would have hurt them. But this was Kevin and he didn’t want to hurt Kevin anymore-- No, he didn’t want to hurt Kevin right now. He needed to gain his trust. It was all about building Kevin’s trust and breaking it when the time was right.

“Any other day I would’ve, but I deserved that.”

“Wait, really?”

“Would you prefer I hit you?” Kevin shook his head. “Good.”

“Let me get you a clean rag,” Kevin said before leaving the room. Eddward looked to the sketchbook on the ground and his curiosity got the best of him once again. He was quick to bend over and flip through the pages. He paused at a certain page and furrowed his brow in confusion. It was a drawing of himself, sitting in at a desk and his head resting in his palm. His fingers were entangled in his black hair and his free hand was used to balance a pen on his thumb. The next page held a drawing of his profile with a cigarette in his mouth. Several pages were filled with drawings of him. It made sense why Kevin was so reluctant to let him look at the sketchbook. It was personal. Maybe even intimate. Eddward’s heart fluttered against his will. He closed the sketchbook just before Kevin arrived with a wet rag and painkillers.

“Here. It’s the best I can do right now.”

Eddward popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed them dry. He was hesitant to grab the rag, but like the pills, he swallowed his weakness and put it to his lip. “Thanks.”

Silence overwhelmed the room as Kevin avoided Eddward’s gaze. “Uh… So we were looking for a movie.” He moved back to the shelf and looked at the titles. “I’ve got Boondock Saints, The Godfather, Vertigo, Star Wars, Jaws, Chinatown, Pulp Fiction, the Shining, Shawshank Redemption... Uh… Taxi Driver, the Big Lebowski, Braveheart, Memento…”

“Not many of these titles mean much to me,” the older teen said honestly.

Kevin cocked an eyebrow at Eddward and smiled weakly. “Well, how about we watch Fight Club?”

“Sounds fine by me.”

Kevin grabbed the movie and the two made their way down the stairs. “Look, man. I am really sorry. I don’t know why I did that. I just… I don’t know. I am sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“I know, it’s just I feel really, really bad--” the redhead said as he locked the door behind them.

“Kevin, shut up, or I will hit you.”

Kevin grinned at Eddward, who looked at him skeptically. “What?”

“I think that’s the first time ya called me by my actual name in, like, years.”

It’s all about gaining his trust… It’s all about gaining his trust.

“Well, it is your name, right?”

They shared a moment of eye contact before Kevin broke it to study the ground in front of him. When they got back, Eddward had a hard time of paying attention to whatever movie Kevin had picked out. He had to break Kevin. These urges, feelings were building up and weakening him. He felt guilt. He felt remorse for what he has and has not done. Eddward did not have time for feelings and Kevin’s drawings would not sway his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the wait. I don't have much of an excuse other than life got in the way. I am so excited to be interested in this story again!


	7. Jumble Jumble

Eddward didn't ever think it would come to this. How could he not have foreseen this? He did not want it to go this far, and he wished he never had the desire to push Kevin over the edge, but here he was with a bag packed full of the usual necessities needed for a weekend away from home. How on Earth had he allowed himself to stoop so low as to have a sleepover? A sleepover at another human being's house, at that. The worst part was that _he_ was the one to suggest it. Kevin had made the comment that his father would be out of town for the weekend at some ridiculous poker tournament in a casino a few states over. It was perfect for his plan in destroying Kevin and circumstances couldn't be any better, but he had opened his mouth before he could plan his next move. The words had left Eddward's mouth before he could stop himself and before he could backtrack, Kevin eagerly agreed.

He had been standing at Kevin's doorstep for quite some time, hesitant to enter the house. It was a ridiculous idea. He shouldn't go through with this. The house was disgusting, and he sure as hell was not going to sleep in Kevin's room. Where would he sleep? On the floor, as most guests at a sleepover did? Absurd. Kevin's bed? No, completely out of the question. It was most likely riddled with as many germs as the floor was, and it most certainly had nothing to do with the fact that he would be sharing the same bed as the moron. There was no backing out now. If he missed this opportunity, there was no knowing when the next one would arrive. He had to rid his mind of Kevin, and this was the only way.

Eddward scowled and opened the door, letting himself into the redhead's house. He slammed the door behind himself to make Kevin aware of his presence. To his surprise, the house was clean, practically spotless. Of course, it wasn't exactly to his standards, but it was definitely a major improvement from the usual state of the house. Kevin appeared in the kitchen doorway. His red hair disheveled underneath his cap that had been flipped backwards, and the sleeves of his tight grey Henley were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his surprisingly toned forearms. Eddward had to force himself to look away from Kevin's arms and to the boy's eyes.

"My, my, you have certainly been busy."

"Well, I figured it's the least I could do, y'know?"

"You did this for me? Why, Pumpkin, I'm touched."

"Yeah, you might have had a heart attack if you had to spend an entire weekend in my dad's pigsty," Kevin shot back with a smirk.

Eddward was taken aback, but quickly regained himself. "No, I would not have had a heart attack. Don't be absurd. It was only a little clutter." More like a lot of clutter; and spillage. Kevin might as well have lived in the dump. That was beside the fact. Kevin seemed to have found the weakness Eddward had tried so hard to hide, but he wasn't using it against Eddward. Perhaps he was waiting for an opportune moment, and perhaps that moment included public humiliation. Why would he clean the mess of the man who beat him, a man he despised, in order to make Eddward more comfortable? It was possible, albeit highly unlikely due to the years of torment by Eddward's hand, that Kevin's intentions were pure. Maybe he truly thought it necessary to clean in preparation for Eddward's stay, and maybe he was unaware that he had found Eddward's weakness. Again, highly unlikely. He was definitely trying to break Eddward like Eddward was trying to break Kevin. Gain trust and destroy when the opportunity presented itself. Eddward would need to act soon, before Kevin did.

When Eddward decided that Kevin would not attack at this moment, he cautiously walked forward and set his bag down onto the dining room table, allowing himself to view the kitchen. The dishes had been washed and were neatly placed on a drying rack. There were nearly four bags of trash set by the sliding door and Eddward found it rather impressive that Kevin could fit everything into only four bags.

"So I thought we could watch some movies, maybe play some video games, and eat junk food."

Eddward rolled his eyes, before allowing them to land on Kevin. "How very cliché of you, Pumpkin."

Kevin shrugged with a grin. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for clichés. I haven't had a sleepover since, like, junior high, man. Just goin' off what I remember."

"I can only assume we will play Truth-or-Dare and talk about boys all night," Eddward snorted.

Kevin shrugged. "If that's what you're into, we can. I won't judge, but I wasn't planning on it." _Oh, how very sassy of you Kevin. You are starting to show your true colors. You are getting comfortable. This is good, very good._

Eddward shot Kevin a look that made the smaller boy squirm, but he didn't say anything. He would let Kevin have this. Kevin was getting comfortable with Eddward, and the raven haired teen needed Kevin to be relaxed and unsuspecting for Eddward's plan to work. Boy, did he have something good in store for the ginger this weekend. Eddward had aimed for this devious plan to be executed later in their false friendship, but Kevin had been easing himself deeper into Eddward's mind. Besides if Kevin had his own agenda in destroying Eddward, Eddward would have to act sooner, before it was too late and he became too weak. As much as he hated to admit to himself, Kevin was becoming a weakness and Eddward did not have time for weaknesses.

"Did your father leave any alcohol?"

The look bewildered look Kevin gave him was rather humorous, but Eddward held back his laugh and remained stoic. "What?"

"You drink?"

"I have drank before." It wasn't exactly a lie. He had only drank once before in his life when he was seven and it was from a day old beer can of Eddy's older brother. The three friends had been curious and upon testing the alcohol, their curiosities had been dissatisfied. With the amount Eddy's older sibling drank daily, they had assumed it would taste better, but that had not been the case. Beer was rather disgusting. He still cringed whenever he thought of the memory. On top of the beverage tasting like rotting asshole, he had essentially shared a beer with Eddy's brother, who was, by far, the most disgustingly promiscuous man on the planet. Eddward gagged at the thought of what diseases resided in the man's mouth.

"Man, I never woulda thought. Uh, yeah. My old man's got some shit in his liquor cabinet. We could take something and he won't notice. Pro'ly think he drank it already."

Kevin lead Eddward out of the dining area and through the living room. They entered a room that looked like it once was a work space, but Eddward was sure it's new purpose was storage. There were boxes piled high on the ground nearly reaching the ceiling. The desk was hardly noticeable in the clutter. A clear path was paved through the boxes and opened to a cabinet that Eddward could only assume stored the desired liquor. Eddward followed Kevin into the room and carefully made his way through the narrow path. Kevin opened the cabinet door and Eddward was shocked to find that liquor wasn't the only thing stored inside. There were guns lined along the door with precision, approximately three inches in between each firearm. Handguns and automatic rifles galore. It unnerved Eddward immensely. He had never been in the presence of a firearm, or several firearms for that matter.

Kevin seemed to sense Eddward's uneasiness and laughed nervously. "My father is some kind of gun enthusiast."

As if to show he wasn't uncomfortable-- to Kevin or to himself, he wasn't sure-- Eddward spoke up. "What did I tell you about using words that may overwork your tiny brain?"

Kevin laughed sarcastically. "Ha. Ha. I mean, it's kind of crazy to keep guns in a liquor cabinet. I've always wondered how my dad didn't see them when he's grabbing another bottle, and decided, in that moment, that he would come upstairs and shoot me."

"Maybe he is coherent enough to drink his sorrows away rather than annihilate them and spend life imprisoned."

The redhead laughed, which seemed to surprise Eddward. If anything, he expected the ginger to retaliate with an insult of his own. Kevin grabbed a bottle of scotch and closed the cabinet before turning to Eddward, waving his hands urgently for Eddward to back out of the passageway. Eddward did exactly that and turned slowly, careful to not knock over any boxes. He staggered out of the mess and was nearly out of the room and away from the clutter when he miscalculated his next step and misjudged the length of his limbs. Eddward caught the tip of his toe on a box in the doorway and sent himself crashing into the wall across from the door. Kevin's laugh was obnoxious and ugly as he was careful to step over the box and Eddward snarled at him.

"Did you forget how to walk?"

"It would not have been an issue if there wasn't a box in the doorway."

"Not my fault. You should watch where you step."

"You should watch your mouth or it will trip on my fist."

"Touchy much?"

Eddward muttered under his breath and followed Kevin back into the living room. Kevin set down the scotch, turned on the TV and told Eddward to sit down while he got a pair of shot glasses. Eddward looked at the couch hesitantly. It was most likely riddled with germs and bacteria, judging by the state of it, but he swallowed his pride and sat down. Goosebumps trailed up his body, or it could have been the germs crawling onto his body. It was highly improbable that he would feel them spreading, but he never thought rationally when faced with death. This couch would be the cause of his death. This filthy couch, covered in sweat stains and filled with flatulence.

Kevin sat down next to him, dragging him from his thoughts and bringing him back to the world around him. The redhead placed the two shot glasses down onto the coffee table and, without looking to Eddward, spoke. "What movie do you want to watch? Wait, stupid question. Well, I have a movie in the DVD player right now. It's called God Bless America. I think you might like it. It's pretty dark."

"Whatever works for you, Pumpkin."

"Alright, but we should play a drinking game with the movie. Make it fun."

" _A drinking game_? Have you had experience with games involving alcohol? My, Pumpkin, you naughty thing."

"Shut up," Kevin must have not realized what he said because he moved on carelessly. "We should drink whenever someone shoots a gun or Frank goes off on a random spiel about shit being unfair."

Eddward shrugged in agreement and they started the movie. Within the first five minutes, Kevin poured them a shot and picked up his own glass. Eddward hesitated to bring the glass to his lips and eyed the brown liquid in his hand. He always thought himself to be above such things, but he was surprisingly more willing to sacrifice a handful of brain cells in order to gain more of Kevin's trust. It would look suspicious if Kevin were the only one drinking that night. How bad could it really be? He would definitely be able to hold his liquor. The redhead smirked at Eddward, who still hadn't taken his shot, and Eddward scowled in return. He threw back the warm liquid and it burned. Oh how it burned. It tasted worse than the beer had all those years ago and his throat grew warm. Eddward succeeded in maintaining a poker face because Kevin seemed impressed at Eddward's lack of disgust, but Eddward wished he had something to wash the nasty taste in his mouth.

Kevin poured another shot for the both of them when there was a rather brutal gunshot. Two shots in less than five minutes of the movie? Eddward already found himself feeling lightheaded. He secretly hoped the rest of the movie went slowly, but he found himself doubting that. He took the shot without any hesitation this time, however, it didn't seem to help any.

"I am assuming there will be many spiels and gunshots throughout this movie."

Kevin grinned and nodded.

The movie continued and about a quarter of the way through, Eddward lost track of how many shots he had taken. His head was spinning and at this point, he wasn't aware of what was going on in the movie. Kevin didn't even seem fazed by the amount he had drank, which would have irritated Eddward if he wasn't intoxicated, and he was most definitely intoxicated. Words did not form correctly in his head, and thoughts were jumbled. He was afraid to speak and fought with the drunkenness with every ounce will that remained. Never in his entire lifetime had he felt so disconnected or inarticulate in his own head. He had to get up and leave to regain himself. A moment outside for a smoke should suffice, but the moment he stood up, his head was spinning in circles and he lost all willpower he had left. He stumbled backward, nearly falling back onto the couch, and if it weren't for Kevin reaching up and grabbing the small of his back, Eddward would have.

"Y’alright? Where ya going?" Kevin's words were slightly slurred, but he still seemed to be coherent.

"Yeah, yeah. Do... Not touch me." Eddward swatted at the redhead's hand and staggered forward, bumping his knee onto the coffee table. He leaned over slapped the table weakly, nearly falling over onto the table. "Stupid 'nanimate object. You are in-an-i-mate." He placed both hands onto the table and fell to his knees laughing.

Kevin laughed from behind him and Eddward's eyes widened when he realized what he said. "You!" He whirled around to face Kevin. "You be quiet."

"I didn't say anything."

"Just be quiet."

Kevin struggled not to laugh as Eddward staggered to his feet and stumbled towards the kitchen. He bumped into the wall, throwing himself off balance. He leaned against the wall, taking a moment to try and remember exactly what he was planning to do. "Hey, where ya goin'?"

Kevin was behind him, his hand hovering over Eddward's shoulder. Why did Eddward tell him not to touch him? He wanted Kevin to touch him. Why did Kevin listen to him?

Eddward grinned awkwardly and leaned forward, nearly inches away from Kevin, but Kevin didn't flinch. "I... am going to go... outside for somethin'."

"To smoke?"

"Yes! To smoke." He giggled. "To smoke! I almost forgot, but thank you, Pumpkin, for reminding me of my terrible habit."

Eddward needed Kevin to touch him and he found himself leaning forward onto the redhead. "Woah! Woah, you OK? D'ya need to sit down?"

The raven haired teen snorted. "No," he sneered. "I just told you I want to go outside."

"OK, let me help you." Kevin threw Eddward's arm over his shoulder and lead him out the sliding door. He wasn't a very good crutch, he kept stumbling over his and Eddward's feet. Once outside, Eddward slipped away from Kevin and swayed as he walked to the railing of the porch. He leaned against it and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. He lit the cigarette and inhaled. Cigarettes never tasted pleasant in the slightest, and tonight was no different, but Eddward's head felt free and light with each hit.

"Either you don't drink often or you are just a lightweight."

"I don't drink... _ever_. Well once, but that was a terrible experience."

"You said you drank occasionally."

"I lied."

Kevin narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"To destroy you," Eddward laughed.

"Destroy me?"

 _You shouldn't have said that. Back pedal, Eddward. Say something!_ "Or maybe I jus' wanted to get you drunk." _What?_

Kevin grinned drunkenly. "Why would you want to get me drunk? You’re drunker than I am."

"Isn't that what people do? They get others drunk to take advantage of them?" _What? No! What are you talking about? This is not the plan. That was never the plan! I said to back pedal, not dig yourself into a completely different hole!_

"You wanna to take advantage of me?" Kevin seemed amused.

"Well, it is pointless now that you know of my intentions." His words were beyond slurred, and hardly comprehensible.

"And what were your intentions exactly?"

Eddward shrugged as he sucked on his cigarette. He exhaled as he spoke. _Now! Say you were planning on robbing him! It's believable and better than everything else your bumbling drunken self has been able to come up with! Do it! Don't ruin this!_ "My intentions were to intoxicate you and steal your clothes." _You idiot!_

"So you're saying you wanted to get me drunk, steal my clothes, and take advantage of me?"

"Possibly."

"Possibly? That's exactly what you said," Kevin teased.

"What proof do you have? Have you been recording this conversation? The first rule of science is recording your observations, otherwise they’s just ‘ssumptions."

"Science..? You are totally shitfaced."

"It seems my plan has backfired," Eddward said and tossed his cigarette onto the porch before digging his heel into it.

"Well, not completely. I'm pretty far gone. Definitely not as far as you, though." Kevin paused before smirking at Eddward. "So that was your plan."

"Have you not learned anything from this conversation? The first rule of science is to record your observations, otherwise there is no proof."

"What if I was t’ take credit for your sciencey plan, and turned it ‘round onto you?"

Kevin was much closer than when the conversation first started and Eddward hadn't realized how close the redhead actually was until now. With the wrong move, their mouths could collide. He most definitely did not want that (or maybe he did), but he couldn't find it in himself to push Kevin away, even when Kevin placed his hand on either side of Eddward on the railing.

"It would be my own fault for not recording my efforts ‘n observations," his voice was breathy against Kevin's lips. "However, I give you full rights to whatever scheme I may or may not have been planning."

Kevin stepped forward and inched his face closer to Eddward's. Their lips touched and every part of Eddward's mind screamed for him to push the ginger away, to beat the ever loving snot out of the punk, but his body ached for Kevin. He melted into the kiss and everything seemed to fade away. His brain stopped screaming at him, finally allowing itself to realize how much he wanted this. It was possible that Kevin wasn't a weakness, but rather a necessity. It was also highly probable that Eddward's judgement was clouded by the alcohol he had consumed.

Kevin brought his hands to Eddward's neck and Eddward pushed against the smaller teen until he slammed Kevin against the siding of the house. There was a groan that slipped from Eddward's lips when Kevin bit his lip and he was sure he might just lose it then and there. His mind was screaming and he knew that later on, when he was sober, he would regret this, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. His drunk mind rationalized that maybe this was a good thing. Maybe he had to give in to his, and apparently Kevin’s, desires (just a little) in order to completely shatter the redhead. He would be crushed, but… That doesn’t matter right now. All that matters right now is Kevin. How Kevin feels against his lips, pressed against his body, Kevin’s fingers in his hair with Eddward’s beanie completely gone-- When did that go? Where was it? No, who cares? Not Eddward. Not right now.

He was hungry. Eddward found himself gripping tightly to Kevin’s jaw, grabbing at the back of his neck, and soon his hands were sliding up Kevin’s shirt. He was certain it was cold outside, but only because of the knowledge of what season it was. His body felt warm from the alcohol and the adrenaline pumping through his veins. It was a feeling he’d never felt before; being drunk and being infatuated. Of course, he once had a crush on Nazz all those years ago, but this was nothing in comparison. This was desperation. This was an absolute need. This was inevitable.

“Eddward…”

Eddward grinned into Kevin’s neck, only to receive a gentle shove.

“Double D, man… This isn't right.” _Double D._

Eddward pulled back and looked at Kevin with drunken confusion.

“If you didn't notice, I really like you. I mean… I don’t really know what I’m saying. I should hate you. I really, really should, but I can’t help it. I still think about that dorky kid. And… I feel like you might like me too.” He pauses and laughs softly as he backs away. “But there’s a part of me… A part of me that feels like this isn’t real. That this is just a game. A part of me that thinks you are doing this just to fuck with me because that’s what you do, isn't it, Eddward?”

Eddward knew that he was very nearly caught. He hadn't admitted anything just yet, so he was in the clear for the time being, but he could help but feel upset by this. Yes, it was true that he was planning something and there was a reason for all of this, but in his drunken state, he was most free and freely feeling the things he’d been pushing away these past months. For once, in a long time, he felt _guilt. Regret._

And just like that, in a moment of clarity, the guilt and regret was gone. He had a mission and he needed to complete it. Guilt, regret… They were weaknesses.

And so he lied, or rather, only told a part of the truth. The most believable lies are covered in truth. “I do.”

“You do what?” Kevin said a little too loudly.

“I like you. I really do. I wasn't supposed to-- I mean, I wasn't planning on it.” He shrugs as if it were no big deal. “I would prefer to hate you, but I can’t. It’s rather frustrating.” _Which is why I need to destroy you. If you hate me, it will be easier to hate you._ “I’m not really sure if I've even been able to admit that to myself, but alcohol seems to be helping and the world hasn't collapsed on me quite yet. I will take that as a good sign.”

Kevin seems speechless. It almost as though he wasn't expecting this response from Eddward. “What do you want from me?”

If Eddward were sober, he would be the one who was speechless, but he find himself speaking freely, and once again, without a care in the world. “Friendship, maybe more. Whatever you want. I've already told you how I…” he pauses. “... _feel_.”

For a moment, he thinks he sees Kevin smiling, but it’s gone as soon as he sees it. The redhead is turning away, and slipping from Eddward’s grip. Eddward shudders at the loss of heat. He must be losing sense of time and reality because one moment Kevin was there and the next, he is by the open sliding door.

“Come on. S’cold outside, and s’pretty late. We should hit the hay.”

Eddward mindlessly follows the ginger inside without any complaints. His mind is slipping from him and soon all he can see is black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow. u guys. I have not updated in forever. I always hate these kinds of notes in stories, but honestly LIFE HAS GRIPPED ME BY THE THROAT FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. I am really so sorry for the late update, but I really appreciated all of your wonderful, encouraging (also somewhat threatening) comments! You are wonderful people and thank you for putting up with my bullshit! Please continue to harass me if this ever happens again.  
> A side note: I do not in anyway condone rape, or taking advantage of someone under the influence.


	8. Vindicated

It’s warm. Unbelievably warm for his own bed and the pillow he is laying on seems to be radiating heat-- which is impossible; a pillow is an object that can only have heat transferred to it. It’s illogical, albeit highly comfortable. The pillow moves, mumbles. Again, impossible. Pillows are inanimate and only move when an outside force moves it. They do not speak either.

  
  
Eddward sprung up in his bed only to discover that it is not his bed and the pillow is not his pillow-- in fact, it’s not a pillow at all. What was lying beneath him is a sleeping, half-naked teenager; more specifically, Kevin. He remained asleep even after Eddward jumped out of the bed, unintentionally bringing the sheets that are tangled around his legs-- Oh, and now he is falling. It’s messy and loud. Smooth, Eddward. Smooth. The movement causes his head to spin and throb, but Kevin miraculously sleeps through it all.

 

After scrambling out of the sheets Eddward is met with cold air. To his absolute horror Eddward is completely naked.

 

**Ensue panic mode. Level: moderate**

 

The night before was a blur. He remembers drinking; he remembers the first twenty minutes of the movie; he remembers cigarettes; he remembers warmth-- and then, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why is he naked? Why is Kevin half-naked? Why were they sharing a bed? He is too stunned to move. Did he and Kevin… No, no, even if he were drunk, despite the fact that he’d never been intoxicated before, he would surely remember engaging in sexual activity. He would remember-- Oh.

 

Oh, no.

 

Just like that he remembers sharing a kiss with Kevin; if one could even call it that. Their tongues had been engaged in war, their teeth clinking together like shield and sword. They exchanged saliva by the gallons, a terribly disgusting (and highly over exaggerated) process that made Eddward’s undergarments tighten at the mere thought.

 

**Ensue panic mode. Level: DANGER**

 

He sprung to his feet, nearly falling over at the momentum of his jump. Once again, his head was spinning, throbbing, pounding; screaming with ridiculous and insistent agony; every step he made like nails on chalkboard; every blink like two pieces of styrofoam rubbing together. This was the absolute worst and if asked, Eddward would swear on his parents lives that he would never drink again.

  
  
In his pain, Eddward struggled to find his clothes, all strewn about in Kevin’s room. His pants on the dresser, his shirt on the bedpost, his underwear-- his underwear on the floor, for Heaven’s sake! It’s a desperate, panicked attempt to put his clothes back on correctly, and he fumbles with zippers and buttons (Eddward would like to note that he did not put his underwear back on and has shoved them underneath Kevin’s bed; he wouldn’t ever need them back). He hears Kevin stir when he hurriedly slips on his boots, not even bothering to tie the laces, and before he can sneak out the door, Kevin speaks.

 

“Going out for a cigarette?” he wiped away the crust from his eyes and yawns loudly. He seemed perfectly normal and unaffected; granted, he didn't wake up with a naked Eddward on top of him.

 

Home is all Eddward can manage to say, his voice raspy and strained. He messed up. Something happened last night and that something has surely compromised the situation. His plans were falling through his fingers by the grain like an hourglass, and pretty soon he would be out of time. Eddward never meant for it to go this far, and in fact, he’d been afraid of this. To deny it at this point was futile. It’s why he’d been aiming to destroy Kevin. The little cretin has been changing him.

 

Eddward left the room in a hurry and rushed downstairs. There is a crashing behind him; Kevin must have tripped running after him, but Eddward doesn’t look. As he reached for the door, his other wrist was grabbed tightly.

 

“Hey, man. What’s your problem?”

 

“There is no problem. Now let me go or I will pummel you into this nasty carpet.” Must have been a low blow. Kevin had tried so hard to clean the house for Eddward after all. The redhead released Eddward and took a step back. He’d just opened the door when Kevin spoke again.

 

“Dude. What the fuck is wrong with you? I get that you were drunk, but you can’t go from last night to this. It’s fucked up, man.”

 

Eddward whirled around, leaving the door ajar, and barring his forearm across Kevin’s bar chest as he slammed the teen against the wall. The collision caused Kevin to grab at the table against the wall, shaking it and knocking over a set of school books. Eddward soon discovered, due to a quick glance, that Kevin must have rushed to throw on a pair of jeans. His belt is missing, causing the boy’s pants to sag low, showing off his silk boxers, but Eddward can’t get distracted right now.

 

He snarled at Kevin, the look in his blue eyes is sharp and dangerous, daring the ginger to speak. Kevin takes the bait.

 

"What are you gonna do? Huh? Beat me up? Alright. You know you can,” he says, egging Eddward on, challenging him with a defiant glare.

 

He could end Kevin right now; destroy all of that hard built trust. Eddward could just throw his plans, everything right out the window and get it over with before he dug himself in even deeper. He could, but he can’t. For some idiotic reason, he just can’t bring himself to do anything and to admit that hurt his pride immensely. Right now, Eddward was weak.

 

What has become of him? A year ago he wouldn’t have thought twice about hurting Kevin, but today? The past few months? Every encounter he had with Kevin was hurting his cause and every time they were apart Eddward’s mind wouldn’t stop racing. It was always _Kevin Kevin Kevin Kevin_. He was weak.

 

“Come on, Double D! Hit me!"

 

That brought him back to his senses.

 

He needed to take advantage of whatever happened last night, whatever he said, whatever he did, the things he didn’t remember. Otherwise, everything he’s done up until this point would be all for naught. It was the only way he could rid himself of the feelings Kevin was stirring up inside of him. It was tough love-- or tough self-love. Eddward needed to think rationally, which he certainly had not been doing. It is time to regain control.

 

“What happened?”

 

“You don't remember… Wow, you were more drunk than I thought.”

 

“What happened!”

 

“We… Uh, kissed is all.”

 

“Why was I… Undressed?” Strangely he felt it would be even more degrading to say naked. “Why were you undressed?"

 

Kevin cleared his throat and darted his eyes around the room, before they finally landed back in Eddward. “Uh… You… Come on, Eddward. Nothing happened. I promise.”

 

Eddward gritted his teeth and pushed down harder on Kevin.

 

“OK! OK! You took off my clothes! You took off you own clothes! I didn't think it’d be right, man. We ended up just talking.”

 

Just imagining it was embarrassing enough. Why couldn't Kevin have been the one to forget rather than Eddward?

 

“What was said last night?”

 

“What?”

 

“What did I say last night?” The words came out of Eddward’s mouth more harshly than he intended. He wanted to take a softer approach, but his temples were throbbing and at the moment, he was irritated that he had to repeat himself.

 

“You said you liked me! Alright? Jesus Christ! You sure have a way of showing it.” Kevin squirmed under his grip and it dawned on Eddward that he has been applying too much pressure. He dropped his hands and stepped back. It’s all starting to come back to Eddward in pieces. “So what? Was it a lie?”

 

He can’t take any of it back. This could be a good thing. Possibly. “No.”

 

“Then what the hell was that?”

 

“I panicked.”

 

“You panicked?”

 

“Yes, I panicked! Do I need to repeat myself after every little statement? Are you really that daft?”

 

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Do you need to insult me every chance you get?”

 

Eddward took a deep breath and closed his eyes, attempting to will away the headache. Remember the mission, Eddward. “You are right. That was uncalled for. I’m not used to this. This is foreign to me. It's just…” His head felt like it had been hit by a baseball bat. He searched his pockets for his pills. He pulled out the bottle and saw that it was empty. Why didn't he think to bring his Vicodin? Stupid. “Do you have any pain killers?”

 

“Just ibuprofen."

 

“Just ibuprofen,” Eddward mocked and rolled his eyes. “I'm going home.”

 

He left the house and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets before stepping off the porch. Eddward looked to his right when he saw another patron in his peripheral and gave a smug grin to Nazz. Her eyes widened and she rushed back into her home, clutching her mail tightly. Eddward looked to the leather watch on his wrist and realized that it was rather early, much too early for him to be out and about. Nazz would be wondering why he was leaving Kevin’s house at this time of day and that couldn't be good for him. She was known to the men around the cul de sac for having a rather large mouth. His Vicodin would have to wait.

 

Eddward swaggered over to her door, cutting through her lawn and knocked gently. A moment later Nazz opened the door slightly, peeking out the crack. “Hello, Eddward.”

 

“You didn't see anything and you are not to repeat anything to anyone about what you didn't see. Capiche?”

 

She nodded her head. “Yeah. I got it.”

 

“And I needn't tell you the consequences if you do.”

 

“No. I know. I won't say anything.”

  
Eddward cracked a smile and winked. “Thanks, doll. It's a pleasure as always to see you.”

 

Once that was settled, Eddward quickly walked to his home and sprinted for his room, kicking off his boots before entering. He desperately rummaged through his nightstand for his precious pills, and once he found the Vicodin, he swallowed three and followed with an adderall. Now all he needed to do was wait. He stripped himself of his jacket and fell backward onto his bed with his legs dangling off the mattress.

 

It was strange.

 

He didn't have an overwhelming urge to scrub off any bacteria that roamed free on his body, and his heart was all a flutter. There was still the matter of embarrassing himself, but Kevin liked him. Eddward smiled as he rested his crossed arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling, relishing in the kiss they shared. It was a foggy memory, but it was still there—it happened. He knew he should be feeling this way, but he couldn't fight it.

 

Again, it was strange.

 

He didn't have this awful need to fight with himself. Perhaps he would later, but for now, he would allow himself to feel for another human being—to be weak.

 

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he moved one arm to grab it. He rested his phone on his chest and unlocked it.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------  
To: Me (8075550221)  
From: Pumpkin  
Sent: 06:53:12  
Subject: (none)  
im sorry if i did anything to weird you out  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
To: Me (8075550221)  
From: Pumpkin  
Sent: 07:01:34  
Subject: (none)  
i thought you were going to spend the weekend here. you know like a vacation but instead of miami its my house. right across the street from yours.  
\---------------------------------------------------------

 

He had completely forgotten, and to be quite frank, he was surprised Kevin still wanted him to stay over after what had just happened. Eddward shoving him against a wall and insulting him—Woah, there, Eddward. It's one thing to have a crush, but it's another to feel guilt. He would have to stop that right now or he would never be able to go through with it, but… Really, what was the point? Why did he need to fight this? Why did he need to hurt Kevin? What was so wrong with being vulnerable to another person?

 

Eddward was conflicted. Just a few months ago he'd been so sure that he would break Kevin—just a few months ago it was a game for him, and now he was falling fast. It would only be a matter of time before he hit the ground and it would be a heavy impact. Kevin, the person who tipped the scale that was Double D’s tolerance all those years ago, would be Eddward’s downfall. It was the kiss, it had to be. Although it was impossible (and he ruled it out a while ago), it was like magic and now Double D was peaking through the surface.

 

How unbelievably cliche.

 

He just couldn't let that happen. Double D was weak and Eddward wasn't. Eddward wasn't ready to let that go. He would go through with his plan. That was just how it had to be.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------  
To: Pumpkin  
From: Me (8075550221)  
Sent: 07:01:34  
Subject: (none)  
I'll return in an hour.  
\---------------------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the huge wait.  
> There are plenty of errors in this chapter. It's not edited, and I know I jump from past tense to present tense a lot, so I apologize for that.


End file.
